April 18, 2006
Updated 07:24pm (Mla time)
Veronica Uy
INQ7.net
EIGHTEEN, not 22 Filipino mine workers, are being held in Jeddah for alleged gold theft, a Foreign Affairs official said.
Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. said Tuesday the workers’ employer -- Saudi Arabian Mining Company -- has assured the consulate general in Jeddah it was “doing its best to provide assistance and protection” to the jailed Filipinos. A local newspaper in Jeddah had reported that the Filipinos formed a gang that had been allegedly smuggling huge amounts of gold inside mail envelopes. It said the Filipino workers had been sentenced to three years in prison for allegedly stealing 1.8 tons of pure gold from a mine over a six-year period.
Consul General Pendosina Lomondot said Saudi police detained the 18 workers after police found tools -- including gold melting equipment -- and pieces of melted gold, rocks and soil inside the workers’ quarters.
Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA) executive director Ellene Sana had said the arrested overseas Filipino workers were beaten.
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