16 human trafficking victims rescued
PUCHONG - A total of 16 Myanmar nationals believed to be victims of a human trafficking syndicate have been rescued in a raid at a steel manufacturing company, near here, on Friday.
The operation at 4.30pm was carried out by D3 Anti-Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Division (Atipsom) of the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department together with the Task Force from National Strategic Office (NSO) of the Council for Anti-Trafficking in Persons (MAPO) of the Home Ministry and the Manpower Department (JTK) from the Human Resources Ministry.
A source said the group comprised four minors aged between 16 and 17 years old as well as 12 other men aged between 25 to 48 years old.
"Preliminary investigations found that their employer had hold on to their passports whereas the house they were accommodated in was not conducive and the minors were tasked with unsafe work," the source said today.
The source added that the police also arrested 36 foreign men aged 21 to 45 years old for offences related to immigration.
They consisted of 34 Myanmar nationals men while the remaining two men were Bangladeshi and Pakistani nationals.
"Following the arrest, a 43-year-old local man acting as the factory manager was arrested for investigation under Section 14 of the Atipsom Act 2007," the source stated.
Meanwhile, Bukit Aman D3 Atipsom chief assistant director Senior Assistant Commissioner Fadil Marsus said all arrested were taken to Serdang District Police Headquarters for further action.
"The case is being investigated under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Section 55B of the same Act as well as Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963," he said.
