Peruvian police rescue Malaysians, Taiwanese held by gang

This handout picture released on Oct 9, 2023, by the Peruvian Ministry of Interior shows some of the 44 Asian migrants rescued by police during a raid between Oct 7 and 8 in Lima. Peruvian police rescued 44 Asian migrants held captive by the Taiwanese criminal organisation Red Dragon, who were used to extort money from businessmen abroad via telephone calls from Lima, the institution reported on Monday. — Handout/Peruvian Ministry of Interior/AFP

LIMA: Police in Peru have rescued 44 people from Asia who were captured by a Taiwanese criminal organisation that used them in an extortion scheme in the South American country, officials in Lima said on Oct 9.

The foreigners were forced to make calls to companies in Malaysia and Taiwan to demand money while posing as police or justice officials, General Carlos Malaver, the head of the police’s people smuggling investigation unit told AFP.