LAWMEN have rescued 22 potential human trafficking victims while they were conducting verification and profiling of passengers of a commercial ferry in Tawi-Tawi, the police said Friday, August 29, 2025.
Police Major Alrashid Tulawie, chief of the Tawi-Tawi Maritime Police Station (MARPSTA), said the potential victims were rescued on Thursday, August 28, aboard a passenger ferry newly docked at the port of Bongao, the capital town of the province.
Tulawie said the rescued potential victims include 10 females, seven males, and five minors who came from different places in the country.
Tulawie said they conducted verification and profiling operation following information from a confidential informant indicating that individuals intending to travel to Malaysia, via the backdoor route were on board the commercial vessel.
“When approached by the team of policemen, they appeared uneasy and failed to answer basic questions, prompting the team to bring them to the Tawi-Tawi MARPSTA for further verification,” he said.
Rosabella Sulano, head of the Bongao Municipal Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (MIACAT), said the potential victims admitted during investigation that they are planning to travel to Malaysia via “the backdoor channel” even without traveling documents.
Sulano said the adult individuals revealed they were promised jobs in Malaysia, by their respective “contacts” whom they identified only through their aliases as Usman, Riza, Jomar, Naning and Talib.
She noted they brought their minor children with them, likely intending to settle permanently in Malaysia.
The Police Maritime Group and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) urged everyone to remain vigilant about job offers abroad, particularly those requiring immediate departure from the country.
The public is also advised to report any suspicious activities related to human trafficking to authorities promptly. (SunStar Zamboanga)