EIGHT individuals, including four minors, were rescued by authorities from suspected trafficking-in-persons (TIP) activity in an island town located in the southern border of the country, the police said Tuesday, August 19, 2025.
The Philippine National Police-Maritime Group (PNP-MG) said the potential TIP victims were rescued by joint operatives of the 1st Special Operations Unit (1st SOU) and Mapun Special Boat Crew (SBC) in partnership with the Philippine Coast Guard, on August 16 in Mapun, Tawi-Tawi.
Mapun, which comprises of 15 villages, is an island municipality in the Sulu Sea on the south-western extreme of the Philippines, located very close to Malaysia.
"The rescue occurred during the profiling and verification of travelers aboard a motorized passenger boat from Zamboanga City to Mapun, Tawi-Tawi," the PNP-MG said in a statement.
Among those rescued were two males, two females, and four minors who were identified as being illegally recruited and at risk of falling victim to TIP.
Based on investigation, the group was supposed to enter Malaysia through a "backdoor channel" without proper travel and work documents.
The Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD)-Mapun said the victims admitted that they were lured by an alias "Alfhadz," a distant relative currently residing in Malaysia who promised them immediate employment.
The rescued individuals are currently under the temporary custody of the 1st SOU before they will be turned over to the MSSD-Mapun for appropriate assistance and disposition. (SunStar Zamboanga)