Elite BI team to go after alien human traffickers

The government’s campaign against human smuggling has been given a boost following the creation of an elite team that will go after individuals — particularly foreigners — involved in the illegal activity. The team will be composed of “seasoned intelligence agents and immigration officers," according to Ronaldo Ledesma, acting commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration (BI). “We are sending a strong signal to these syndicates, particularly the foreigners who manage, finance and operate them, that there will be no letup in our drive against human trafficking," Ledesma said Tuesday. He said the group, called the Trafficking in Persons Unit (TPU), will go after unscrupulous foreigners involved in the smuggling of illegal aliens in and out of the Philippines, as well as in the trafficking of Filipinos abroad. Ledesma said based on confirmed intelligence reports, some undesirable foreigners from Asian countries are involved in human trafficking operations in the country. He said the primary objective of the BI is to support government efforts to have the Philippines removed from the Tier 2 human trafficking watch list of the US State Department. In July this year, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the Philippines has to score more human trafficking case convictions by 2011, or US could pull out as much as $250 million in aid to the country’s fight against human trafficking. Ledesma ordered BI intelligence chief Faizal Hussin to submit the names of operatives to be assigned to TPU. The unit will be headed by intelligence officer Epipanio Lambino Jr. Lambino, who just came from an intelligence study abroad, said at least 10 immigration agents are needed to make the unit effective in gathering intelligence information. The TPU is expected to be operational in January next year. - KBK, GMANews.TV