Total Of 137 Individuals, Including Children, Believed To Be Human Trafficking Victims, Rescued

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 (Bernama) -- A total of 137 individuals, including children, believed to be labour exploitation victims, were rescued under Op Pintas Mega from January to June.

Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Anti-Trafficking in Persons and. Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) principle assistant director SAC Soffian Santong said 35 victims were Myanmar nationals, 25 Thai, 23 Indonesian, 17 Bangladeshi, nine Filipino, eight Malaysians, five Cambodians, Vietnamese and Chinese each, and two Nepali along with three ethnic Rohingya,” he said in a statement today, adding that 398 individuals were arrested in the operation.

He said that the operation this year was conducted nationwide in two phases, with 42 raids and 285 arrests in the first phase in January.

"In the first phase, 64 victims were rescued, 12 men, 22 women, 10 boys and 20 girls,” he said.

Soffian said the second phase in June had 33 raids with 113 arrests and a total of 73 individuals, 25 men, 26 women and 22 boys were rescued.

The joint operation involved the Immigration Department, the Labour Department, the Department of Environment, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and local authorities and targeted factories, plantations, the fisheries and services sectors as well as beggars.

He said that the police would never compromise with human trafficking and will take legal action, including under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012.

-- BERNAMA