THE office on Roxas Boulevard dangled a “get-rich-quickly-abroad” scheme to starry-eyed, cash empty Filipinos. It offered elusive U.S. visas to applicants drunk with their own dreams. For exciting bonus, the firm also guaranteed to help clients land jobs in America with salaries not less than $1,200. Nobody had a clue that they were just being promised what they only wanted to hear.

The firm turned out to be a fake visa and large-scale illegal recruitment syndicate which has victimized hundreds of Filipinos trying to land high-paying jobs in the United States since 2006. It was smashed by agents of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in cooperation with U.S. Embassy officials 5 p.m Wednesday, officials said yesterday.

PNP-CIDG chief, Director Samuel D. Pagdilao Jr. said the operation was conducted by the CIDG Anti-Transnational and Cyber Crime Division at the office of the United States Alliance Consultancy and Immigration Service (USA-CIS)  located at Room 803, 8th floor of the Pearl of the Orient Building at 1240 Roxas Boulevard in Ermita, Manila.

Arrested during the raid were 20 members of the syndicate. Also seized were 22 computer units, passports of dozens of victims and other implements for falsification.

Pagdilao identified those arrested as Anna Liza Samson, USA-CIS general manager, Reynaldo Villanueva, Cris Llewellyn Gacayan, Aldrin P. Guevarra Jr., Ronaldo B. Geronimo, Leilanie G. Rafael, Rose Ann Bautista, Florinda M. Jana, Maria Cristina G. Cruz, Maria Cristina L. Reyes, Melanie Domingo, Reina Angeline R. Geronimo, Rosalinda S. Kalinga, Niccalyn R. Robles, Maria Elena DC Gaddi, Juddie M. Osorio, Nannete F. Benedicto and Manuel Inocencio.

CIDG-ATCCD chief, Senior Supt. Gilbert T. Sosa said the operation stemmed from the request for appropriate action by the United States Embassy in Manila through their Overseas Criminal Investigation Office.

U.S. Embassy officials said they discovered that the Manila-based immigration consultancy office has been providing U.S. visa applicants with fake documents such as bank books, bank certifications, deeds of sale of real properties, tax documents and business registration certificates.

“We recovered major pieces of evidence during the raid including assorted passports of applicants for U.S. visa processing,” Sosa said.

Sosa said their investigation showed that USA-CIS has been recruiting Filipino visa applicants for care-giving jobs in unknown care homes in the U.S. The syndicate charges their clients a minimum of P50,000 to P100,000 as initial payment for the orientation, coaching seminars and forged documents. The ring charges an additional P85,000 to P100,000 for so-called ‘success fee’  once a client gets an American visa.

The official said the USA-CIS has been engaged in visa fraud and illegal recruitment since 2006 using several company names. The U.S. Embassy recorded that the company has duped more than 190 visa applicants under its present name.               

In response to the request of the U.S. Embassy, Sosa said they secured two search warrants against the USA-CIS and served it Wednesday.

Inocencio, 47-year old accounting staff of the USA-CIS, was collared shortly after he received marked money from four complainants led by Catherine Yarra.

The complainants claimed Inocencio had enticed them to work as ‘caregivers’ in the U.S. and promised them salaries ranging from  US$1,200 to $3,000 a month.

After Inocencio’s arrest, ATCCD operatives served the warrants and searched the offices of USA-CIS at the 8th and 26th floors where they arrested other members of the group and confiscated the implements for the production of fraudulent documents.

Pagdilao said they will charge the suspects with non-bailable cases for large scale and syndicated illegal recruitment, large scale and syndicated estafa and numerous counts of fraud.

The CIDG chief said that the most recent neutralization of an illegal recruitment and visa fraud syndicate should serve as a stern warning to Filipinos to be more careful in choosing immigration consultancy firms.               

Pagdilao added that aspirant migrant workers should also think of the consequences that will befall them once they are caught carrying fraudulent and counterfeit documents abroad.