A 25-year-old Filipino trafficking victim has safely returned to the Philippines after being rescued from a scam hub in Myanmar, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the victim arrived on March 21 via a Philippine Airlines flight after months of exploitation abroad.

Investigations by the BI’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) revealed that the victim left the country in September 2025 through an illegal “backdoor” route via Tawi-Tawi.

He then traveled through Malaysia and Thailand before reaching Myanmar, where he was promised a job as a customer service representative for an online shopping platform.

However, upon arrival, the victim was forced to work as a scammer for a fraud syndicate. He also endured degrading treatment, including being made an errand boy, tasked with heavy labor such as moving furniture, and even compelled to dance to entertain fellow scammers.

The BI noted a growing number of similar cases involving Filipinos trafficked through illegal exit routes, underscoring the dangers of unauthorized migration.

Viado urged Filipinos to pursue only legal and documented employment abroad, warning that bypassing proper immigration processes increases vulnerability to trafficking and abuse.