JOHOR BARU: A 25-year-old Malaysian man is believed to be trapped in a scam centre in Myanmar for the past six months, with the syndicate asking his family to pay US$40,000 (RM163,000) for his release.
Identified only as Cheng, he had been forced to work long hours besides being beaten up and tortured, said Malaysian Community Crime Care Pahang branch chairman Daniel Khoo.
He said Cheng’s loved ones had related their distress to him, besides sharing a video clip which the family had received through a friend of the victim.
“The video was graphic. It showed a number of people using mobile phones, possibly to carry out scams. Some men were seen being beaten,” he said.
Cheng’s family had lodged a report here on July 31, he added.
A police official, when contacted, confirmed receiving the report and that investigations were ongoing.
Khoo said Cheng, who previously worked in Singapore, had befriended a man in Penang during a trip to an auto show there.
The man offered Cheng a well-paying job abroad as a customer service officer.
“He decided to take it up as it was a desk job which paid well,” he said, adding that Cheng was assured of a better salary as he had work experience in the service sector in Singapore.
However, he said Cheng’s fate took a different turn when he arrived in Myanmar to sign the work contract.
“Under the contract, Cheng would have to pay a US$40,000 penalty if he wanted to quit his job early,” Khoo said.
He said Cheng was believed to be confined at a scam centre operating in a jungle area along the Thai-Myanmar border.
A relative of Cheng said they were in the dark about his whereabouts and health condition.
“We have reached out to the Malaysian embassy and are awaiting further updates,” she said, declining to reveal much to avoid putting Cheng’s life at risk.
