‘Arrested workers not paid the hourly rate, briefed on escape’

The illegal workers arrested during a raid at Rifu Apparel Corp. in As Lito were not paid the hourly rate and were given prior instructions about an escape route in the event law enforcers approach the compound, according to the Division of Immigration.

Immigration Investigator Erwin Flores, in an affidavit in support of the arrest and search warrants, said that, based on their confidential informant and investigation, it was one Haiyu Han who hired, supervised and paid the illegal workers at Rifu Apparel Corp. in As Lito.

Han was among the 55 alien workers arrested by authorities during a raid at Rifu Apparel and R&B Corp. in Chalan Kanoa Thursday morning for allegedly engaging in unlawful employment and immigration fraud.

The company posted $10,000 cash bail yesterday for Han’s temporary liberty.

Flores said a check with the Labor and Immigration Identification Documentation System indicates that Han is employed at Rifu as a sewing machine operator.

Flores said Han would pay in cash and made the illegal workers sign a logbook to acknowledge payments.

The illegal workers were not paid an hourly rate, but for each piece of completed garment products.

For every 60 to 687 pieces of completed products, the workers would be paid at the rate of $.025 cents per product. For every 688 to 7,134 pieces, the workers would be paid $.035 cents per product.

For any product in excess of 7,134 pieces, the workers would be paid $.04 cents per product, the investigator said.

He said behind the Rifu Building, where the illegal workers were located, was a chain link perimeter fence used as an escape route.

“The chain link fencing has a cutout that was purposely placed there so that in the event that law enforcement approaches the work area, all individuals who have no authorization to work there can elude the law enforcers by escaping through the cutout in the chain link fence,” Flores said.

The investigator said Han had briefed the illegal workers about the purpose of the cutout. It would lead the workers to a vegetation area.

Flores said they received information that there were 40 illegal workers at Rifu.

With respect to R&B Corp., Flores said they received information that there were 20 Asians working illegally as sewing machine and hand sewers at a trimming plant in Chalan Kanoa.

The investigator said that Chong Ho Lee, manager of R&B, hired seven Asian women and paid them with cash. Lee was among those arrested.

All sewn clothing were placed into bags and delivered to Rifu Apparel Corp. in San Vicente, Flores said, adding that R&B installed a surveillance camera at its building in Chalan Kanoa.

During Thursday’s hearing, Superior Court Associate Judge David A. Wiseman imposed a $100 cash bail for each of the respondents and $1,000 cash bail each on five others.