PCG: Elements of Coast Guard Sub-Station (CGSS) Taganak and local police intercepted two female passengers of ML Fatima Raiza who were suspected as victims of human trafficking last Saturday, February 14.

The team conducted joint boarding inspection on ML Fatima Raiza that departed PMI Wharf, Zamboanga City enroute to Taganak and was skippered by Abdulhair Sayad.

The Coast Guard and local police noticed two female passengers who believed to be victims of human trafficking, and were identified as Minerva Claire G Villanueva, 26 years old from Tarlac and Joselyn M. Mallom, 27 years old from Sampaloc, Manila.

The team invited the said victims to the police station for investigation and found-out that said victims were waiting for any water transportation from Taganak bound for Malaysia.

The Municipal Police Station of Taganak took the said victims in custody and eventually turned them over to Tawi-Tawi Police Provincial Office at Bongao, Tawi-Tawi for proper disposition.