18 charity homes raided, 402 children rescued - IGP
The victims, comprising 201 boys and 201 girls aged between one and 17 years were suspected to be victims of neglect and abuse.
KUANTAN - A total of 402 children were rescued in a police raid on 18 charity homes around Selangor and Negeri Sembilan on Wednesday.
The victims, comprising 201 boys and 201 girls aged between one and 17 years were suspected to be victims of neglect and abuse.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said that during Ops Global operation, the police also arrested 171 individuals including teachers, dormitory supervisors and chairpersons of the institutions.
He said that those arrested included 66 men and 105 women aged between 17 and 64 years.
“All rescued children will undergo an initial health screening at the facilities provided before the documentation process is carried out at the Police Training Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
“This process is expected to take 14 days, though it may be subject to additional needs,” he said at a press conference at the Pahang Contingent Police Headquarters on Wednesday.
Razarudin said that the raid was conducted following a police report received on Sept 2 regarding cases of child neglect, sexual abuse and molestation at a charity home in Port Dickson.
"Acting on the information, the police have opened eight investigation papers, four in Negeri Sembilan and four in Selangor.
"In the Port Dickson case, six suspects aged in their 20s to 40s, comprising five men and a woman were arrested," he added.
Razarudin said that based on the intelligence received, the victims were exposed to sodomy before being sodomised by caretakers and then forced to sodomise other residents.
"Sick victims were denied medical treatment at clinics until their condition became critical.
"The group is also believed to have used children and religious sentiments to solicit sympathy and get donations.
"Victims were injured with heated objects as punishment for mistakes and were touched inappropriately under the guise of performing Islamic medical treatments," he said.
He added that the purpose of 'Op Global' investigations so far pertains to offences under the Child Act 2001 [Act 611], Sexual Offenses Against Children Act 2017 [Act 792], the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 [Act 670], the Penal Code [Act 574], and other applicable laws.
"From 2011 until Sept 7, the police have received 41 reports against the business group, including 19 in Selangor, 13 in Negeri Sembilan, 1 in Perlis, 3 in Kedah, 2 in Penang, 1 in Kuala Lumpur, 1 in Melaka, 5 in Johor, 2 in Pahang, 1 in Terengganu, and 1 in Sabah," he said.
Meanwhile, Razarudin said that preliminary police investigations have found no politicians involved in the group's activities so far.
