85 human trafficking victims rescued
KUALA LUMPUR: Eighty-five individuals, including 17 children, believed to be victims of human trafficking and forced labour, were rescued following a massive operation.
Some 175 others were detained in the special operation called Ops Pintas Mega, which was conducted by Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) division (D3) along with other enforcement agencies. The operation saw 36 raids conducted simultaneously nationwide on May 8.
Bukit Aman CID director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said those rescued were 58 men, 10 women, 16 boys and a girl.
'Some were locals while others were from the Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar. Most of the victims were rescued from being victims of human trafficking for exploitation and forced labour,' he said when contacted yesterday.
The raiding teams also detained 175 individuals, consisting of locals and foreigners during the special operation.
'The foreigners were from Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Myanmar, Nepal and China,' he said.
'The focus of the operation is to identify and rescue victims of human trafficking in the services and plantation sectors, as well as children exploited by begging syndicates.
'Our operation is based on the National Guideline on Human Trafficking Indicators (NGHTI) 2.0. We also aim to curb trafficking in persons in a holistic manner,' said Comm Mohd Shuhaily.
The investigations are being conducted under Sections 12 and 14 of the Atipsom Act 2007, Section 55B and Section 6(1)(C) of the Immigration Act and Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963.
'Human trafficking is a very serious offence, and we will take stern action against any individual or criminal syndicate that is involved in such activities.
'We also urge the public to relay information on human trafficking offences to the nearest police station,' he said.
The raids were jointly conducted with the Home Ministry, Immigration Department, Labour Department, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the National Anti-Trafficking Council.
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