Authorities from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine National Police (PNP), Municipal Inter-Agency Committee Against Trafficking (MIACAT), and the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) facilitated the rescue of 19 individuals, alleged to be victims of human trafficking, aboard a passenger vessel in Tawi-Tawi on October 11.

While performing a roving inspection, the PCG Sea Marshals observed a group of passengers conversing about their intended trip to Malaysia.

Following this, Coast Guard officers coordinated with the PNP Maritime Police Station to thoroughly screen the passengers for further investigation.

Moreover, the MIACAT carried out profiling, during which the victims admitted that they intended to travel to Sabah, Malaysia, via an illegal backdoor route to seek work without the necessary documents.