KUALA LUMPUR: 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 principal assistant director Senior Asst Comm Soffian Santong said 35 victims were Myanmar nationals, 25 Thai, 23 Indonesian, 17 Bangladeshi, nine Filipino, eight Malaysians, five Cambodians, five Vietnamese and five Chinese, and two Nepali along with three ethnic Rohingya. He added that 398 individuals were arrested in the operation.
He said 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, including 12 men, 22 women, 10 boys and 20 girls,” he said.
Soffian said the second phase in June involved 33 raids with 113 arrests, and a total of 73 individuals, including 25 men, 26 women and 22 boys, were rescued.
The joint operation involved the Immigration Department, the Labour Department, the Environment Department, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and local authorities, targeting factories, plantations, the fisheries and services sectors, as well as beggars.
He said that the police would never compromise on human trafficking and will take legal action, including under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012. – Bernama
