A suspected human trafficking victim (HTV) was intercepted in Bangkok after leaving the Philippines via backdoor to travel to Yangon, Myanmar.
According to an Inquirer.net report, “Robert”, the suspected Filipino HTV, not his real name, was intercepted at Don Mueang Airport. Present during the intercept were members of the Royal Thai Immigration Police, and Col. Dominador Matalang, representative from the Philippine Embassy in Thailand’s Office of the POlice Attache on Saturday, February 22.
“Robert” travelled via Tawi-Tawi to Sabah, then to Penang, then to Hatyai and eventually at Don Mueang Airport. He was supposed to stay in Bangkok for a couple of days before flying to Yangon, Myanmar.
Col Dominador Matalang said that Robert was stopped at the airport with the assistance of the Royal Thai Immigration. Initially, he claimed that he was bound for Dubai, but Matalang explained that Robert’s exit stamps from both the Philippines and Malaysia were fake.
Despite “Robert’s” violations, he wasn’t deported, but instead, the Royal Thai Immigration Police covered his airfare back to the Philippines on Sunday, February 23. He wasn’t charged with fraudulent exit and entry, a crime in Thailand that carries a three-year prison sentence.
The Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) will be updating “Robert’s” situation upon his arrival back in the Philippines, said Matalang.