Ben Madilynn
A TOTAL of 17 individuals involved in the scam hub in Lapu-Lapu City, who have been charged with human trafficking, will be returned to Cebu on Thursday, October 3, 2024, for their arraignment.
In a Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas media conference on Tuesday, October 1, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 Director Rennan Augustus Oliva told reporters that a scheduled arraignment before the Regional Trial Court Branch 73 in Lapu-Lapu City will commence on Thursday.
“On October 3, the case will have its arraignment before the Regional Trial Court of Lapu-Lapu City, so the arrested individuals, who are currently detained at the office of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), will be flown to Cebu to undergo the arraignment,” said Oliva.
The individuals who will be flown to Cebu include 13 Chinese nationals, two Indonesians, one from Myanmar, and one Filipino, all of whom are currently facing charges of qualified trafficking in persons.
Zandrew Cantarona, the sole Filipino involved, became an accessory to the crime by attempting to transport over 50 passports belonging to the rescued Indonesian nationals.
Oliva stated in a previous report by SunStar Cebu that, together with PAOCC, authorities will provide security to both the accused and the witnesses during court proceedings.
To recall, on August 31, a joint team composed of several law enforcement agencies initially conducted a rescue operation but later discovered that the Tourist Garden Hotel compound in Barangay Agus was operating illegal scams.
The investigation then escalated to filing charges of violating immigration laws against the 169 foreign nationals who are now detained at the PAOCC headquarters in Pasay City.
Authorities are preparing to file anti-money laundering charges against the parties involved in connection with the attempted smuggling of 8.2 million pesos in cash by a hotel employee in September. (DPC)
