KUALA LUMPUR: A rescued job scam victim has been arrested on suspicion of being a human trafficker following police investigations.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) deputy director Deputy Comm Datuk Fadil Marsus told a press conference here on Monday (March 17) that the suspect was among 25 people saved in Myanmar recently.
Of the 25 rescued, he said six have been confirmed to "fit the criteria" of being human trafficking victims while investigations continue on the others.
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"We identified that six, a woman and five men, are victims according to the National Guideline on Human Trafficking Indicators.
"They are confirmed to be victims, and we will issue an interim protection order to place them in safe houses for the duration of the investigation," he said.
He added that one of the 25 was found to be responsible for trafficking the victims.
"We arrested the local man, aged 20, on suspicion of human trafficking. This is what we want to highlight to the public.
"He has been remanded until Thursday (March 20)," he said.
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DCP Fadil said that as of March 13, police had received 489 reports about job scams involving a total of 637 victims.
Of the number, 504 have been rescued, he added.
Earlier, the Foreign Ministry said 25 Malaysians thought to be victims of online scam syndicates operating in Myawaddy, Myanmar, have been safely repatriated.
The ministry said the group arrived at the Bukit Kayu Hitam Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security Complex on March 12 and were handed over to the police for investigation.
