16 forced labour victims rescued in Klang Valley raids
Bukit Aman D3 chief Soffian Santong urged the public to report any suspicious activities in their area. (PDRM pic)
KUALA LUMPUR : Police rescued 16 people, including teenagers, believed to be the victims of forced labour in a series of raids across the Klang Valley yesterday by Bukit Aman's Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) unit under Op Pintas Mega.
Bukit Aman D3 chief Soffian Santong said the first raid took place just after midnight at a restaurant in Bandar Tasik Puteri, Rawang, where five teenage boys aged 16 to 17 – four from Myanmar and one from Indonesia – were rescued.
Two men were arrested: the employer, a 29-year-old Malaysian, and a 26-year-old Indian national who acted as the supervisor. They are being investigated under the Atipsom Act 2007.
Police also detained 20 other foreign workers, including Indian, Myanmar, Bangladeshi, and Indonesian nationals, for suspected immigration offences.
The second raid at 11.30am took place at a construction site in Pantai Dalam, Kuala Lumpur. Eight men – a local and seven Bangladeshis aged between 35 and 51 – were rescued.
Soffian said two Bangladeshi men acting as supervisors were arrested under the Atipsom Act while 17 others were detained under the Immigration Act.
'Police also raided two car workshops in Puchong Utama at around 4.15pm and 4.25pm. They rescued three teenage boys, aged 14 to 17, including one from Myanmar,' he said.
Two local men believed to be the workshop owners were arrested under the Atipsom Act. Two Myanmar nationals working there were also detained for immigration offences.
The rescued victims were taken to police stations in Gombak, Brickfields, and Subang Jaya for further action.
The joint operation also involved the home ministry, immigration department, labour department, Maritime Enforcement Agency, and National Anti-Trafficking Council.
'Police are serious about fighting human trafficking and urge the public to report any suspicious activities in their area,' said Soffian.
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