Press conference by Bukit Aman deputy CID director, DCP Datuk Fadil Marsus at Bukit Aman on March 17.—AZMAN GHANI/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: An alleged job-scam victim rescued recently was found to be a human trafficker after investigations by Malaysian police.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) deputy director Deputy Comm Datuk Fadil Marsus said the suspect was among the 25 victims who were recently rescued from Myanmar.
Of the 25, only six had “fit the criteria” of being human trafficking victims, he told a press conference at Bukit Aman yesterday.
He said the six were the real victims.
“We identified that a woman and five men aged between 19 and 34 were victims based on the National Guideline on Human Trafficking Indicator (NGHTI).
“These are confirmed victims and we will issue an interim protection order (IPO) and they will be placed in safe houses throughout the duration of the investigation,” he said.
“Following the rescue we also arrested a local man aged 20 on suspicion of human trafficking. “This is what we want to highlight to the public. He has been remanded until March 20,” he said.
Previously, the Foreign Ministry said 25 Malaysians that were thought to be victims of online scam syndicates operating in Myawaddy, Myanmar, have been safely repatriated to Malaysia.
The ministry said the group arrived at the Bukit Kayu Hitam Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security Complex on March 12 where they were handed over to the Malaysian police for further investigation.
Meanwhile, he said that between 2021 and March 13 this year, there had been 489 police reports lodged regarding job scam victims, with a total of 637 victims.
Of that, 504 have been rescued. A total of 186 victims were saved from Myanmar alone.
Statistics also showed that most victims were from Selangor and Johor with 137 and 132 victims, respectively.
On the remaining suspects that were linked to a robbery gang that had been busted in Sepang, DCP Fadil said the police would not rest until they were brought to justice.
Previously three foreign criminals, whose house break-in spree was marked by violence against their victims, were shot dead after attacking a police team in Desa Vista.
Police revealed that the suspects were responsible for 17 cases since early last year, including three during the Ramadan month.
Investigations showed that the gang would leave the country after each crime spree, only to return and strike again later.
