14 foreigners rescued, 7 nabbed in anti-human trafficking raids

2026-03-27 - 13:51

Melaka police chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said the 14 victims rescued were aged between 25 and 36, comprising seven men and six women from the Philippines, as well as one woman from Myanmar. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: Melaka police have rescued 14 foreigners believed to be victims of forced labour, and arrested seven other foreign nationals for alleged involvement in human trafficking State police chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said the 14 people rescued were aged between 25 and 36, and comprised seven men and six women from the Philippines, as well as one woman from Myanmar. Dzulkhairi said initial investigations found that all the victims had fallen prey to scams, after being promised jobs as customer service personnel but who were later forced to engage in scam activities upon arriving in Malaysia. “They are also believed to have been subjected to debt bondage, with their passports confiscated, placed under strict control, not allowed to leave and forced to work overtime,” he said. The 7 people arrested, aged between 19 and 38, comprised a Chinese national, a Taiwanese woman, a Myanmar man and four women from Myanmar, the Philippines and Indonesia. Dzulkhairi said they were arrested for alleged involvement in forced labour exploitation and were also being investigated for lacking valid entry passes or permits.