Chinese Embassy seeks police help over beggars

KUALA LUMPUR: The Chinese Embassy in Malaysia is looking into reports of its nationals being abducted, maimed and forced to be beggars here, reported Beijing Youth Daily.

An official from the Consular Office told the daily that it was co-operating with local police to identify and rescue the beggars, adding that it had helped take 10 disabled Chinese beggars off the street in Johor Baru recently.

The Star on Monday frontpaged a story, reporting that an organised crime syndicate run by two brothers would bring crippled Chinese nationals to Malaysia on tourist visas and make them beg in holiday hotspots throughout the country.

The beggars are reported to have been abducted, disfigured and held for a number of years before being brought to beg in Malaysia.

Most of the money they get is taken away by gang leaders.

The embassy told the daily that Chinese children brought in here has also been an ongoing problem and its efforts to stamp out syndicates were futile as new ones grow to take the place of the old syndicates.

“The Chinese Embassy can only help these Chinese children by calling the police immediately and co-operating with the investigations. After the abducted children are rescued, the consular office will contact volunteers to help with the following issues such as meals and accommodations,” it said.