BUKIT MERTAJAM: A 22-year-old woman, believed to have been locked up by a syndicate while waiting to be sent to a neighbouring country to work, has been rescued in a raid.
The victim was freed from a house at Taman Sanctuary in Machang Bubok here on Dec 6.
Seberang Perai Tengah OCPD Asst Comm Tan Cheng San said based on information and intelligence about a woman being confined in the house for several days by a human-trafficking syndicate, police raided the place at 5.45pm last Wednesday.
He said a 34-year-old man was arrested in the operation.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the self-employed man wanted to take the victim to a neighbouring country to work as an operator for an online fraud syndicate,” he told Bernama yesterday.
Police seized two cars and a laptop, as well as things related to prostitution such as condoms and tissues, during the raid.
Police investigations are still ongoing, including tracking down several people related to the syndicate’s network.
The suspect has been remanded under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Migrant Smuggling Act 2007.
ACP Tan advised the public, especially those who were promised a well-paid job abroad, to be careful and make detailed enquiries beforehand, for fear of falling victim to fraud syndicates or human trafficking rings.
It is believed that the victim was offered a high-paying job in a neighbouring country by a friend of the suspect.
