Bad weather on Tuesday grounded a military flight bound for Manila carrying 51 trafficking victims, including 49 Chinese nationals, one Cambodian and one Filipina, who were rescued during recent law enforcement raids on illegal offshore gaming operations in Zamboanga Sibugay.
The scheduled transfer, led by the National Bureau of Investigation, was postponed after bad weather prevented a Philippine Air Force aircraft from landing at the Pagadian City Airport.
The 51 individuals, along with physical evidence seized during the operations, were temporarily placed in the military custody in Zamboanga del Sur while awaiting a rescheduled flight on Wednesday.
Largest raid
They were among 259 people rounded up by law enforcement authorities on Oct. 2 during simultaneous raids in the towns of Alicia and Siay. Authorities described the operation as the largest raid on Philippine offshore gaming operators since the nationwide ban took effect two years ago.
Maj. Noelio Brigole, spokesperson for the Philippine Army’s 1st Infantry Division, said the consolidated figure of 259 was reached following joint verification by the NBI and Bureau of Immigration.
Brigole said the 51 individuals selected for immediate transport to Manila were identified as victims of human trafficking and forced labor.
‘The investigation is still ongoing through the NBI and the Bureau of Immigration,’ Brigole said, adding that details about the remaining foreign and local individuals in Zamboanga Sibugay were being withheld pending verification.
Brigole clarified that the victims would undergo further verification and documentation by immigration officials upon arrival in Manila and would not be immediately deported to their home countries.
The remaining individuals rounded up during the Alicia and Siay raids remained under NBI custody in Zamboanga Sibugay as the investigation continued.