Two arrested as Hong Kong probe widens into allegations that major fraud rackets targeted Filipino domestic workers

Post learns co-owner of defunct employment agency and ex-marketing director of travel firm out on bail but required to report back to police next month

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A queue outside Peya Travel in Central, which is allegedly involved in a flight bookings fiasco. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 6:32pm, 12 Jun 2018Updated: 10:54pm, 12 Jun 2018

Two Hong Kong-based business figures who worked closely with Filipino domestic workers in the city have been released on bail following their arrest in connection with two of the biggest alleged fraud rackets to hit the migrant community in recent years.

Police investigating hundreds of claims that people were duped into handing over cash to an agency in Hong Kong for non-existent jobs overseas confirmed on Tuesday they had arrested a 65-year-old foreign woman on suspicion of fraud and money laundering last week and that she had been released on bail.

Her arrest last Thursday came 24 hours after “a 49-year-old foreign man” was arrested for questioning over an alleged “conspiracy to defraud” connected to a now-defunct travel agency firm that failed to honour the Christmas flight bookings of hundreds of Filipino domestic workers in December last year, throwing their festive travel plans into chaos. He too has been released on bail.

The police have not formally named either of the two suspects.

Hundreds of Filipino domestic workers’ travel plans were thrown into chaos in December 2017. Photo: Jonathan Wong

However, sources have told the Post the woman is Philippine national and long-time Hong Kong resident Ester Ylagan, co-owner of the defunct Emry’s Service Staff Employment Agency, who allegedly duped up to 500 job applicants into applying for bogus jobs in Britain and Canada.

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