ALLEGED human trafficking victims have urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking to locate and arrest London-based Italian entrepreneur Adel En Nouri, who is facing multiple criminal charges in the Philippines, including qualified human trafficking, large-scale illegal recruitment, estafa, and serious illegal detention.
In a letter addressed to Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida, two alleged victims of En Nouri, through their lawyer Rex Lampa, asked the DOJ to coordinate with authorities in the United Kingdom and Italy to determine the businessman’s whereabouts and facilitate his arrest.The victims urged the DOJ to initiate extradition proceedings to bring En Nouri back to the Philippines to face the charges filed against him.
“We believe that a government-to-government initiative and discussion will bring a more expeditious resolution on this matter,” Lampa said in his May 12 letter to the DOJ.
Court records showed that on March 4, the Bacoor City Regional Trial Court issued arrest warrants against En Nouri and several co-accused in connection with a non-bailable qualified human trafficking case under Republic Act 9208, or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, as amended by Republic Act 10364.
Another arrest warrant was issued on April 10 after the same court ordered the arrest of En Nouri and his co-accused over charges of serious illegal detention and large-scale illegal recruitment, also based on complaints filed by the DOJ.
In a separate resolution dated April 16, the DOJ recommended the filing of additional non-bailable cases for large-scale illegal recruitment and estafa against En Nouri and another foreign national.
Lampa said the continued evasion of En Nouri poses a threat to the victims.
“My clients are deeply distressed to know that the person responsible for their suffering remains free and beyond the reach of authorities,” the lawyer said.
“Unless he is immediately apprehended, my clients’ lives are in perpetual danger as Mr. Adel En Nouri is capable of committing criminal acts despite being abroad through his Filipino conspirators,” he added.
Lampa wrote to Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking Executive Director Hannah Lizette Manalili seeking similar assistance for the alleged victims.
Earlier, the lawyer appealed to the British and Italian embassies to cancel En Nouri’s United Kingdom resident visa and provide information regarding his whereabouts, arguing that he should be considered an undesirable alien.
The alleged victims have likewise sought assistance from the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to secure the issuance of an Interpol Red Notice against En Nouri.
