23 CAMBODIANS RESCUED
Victims include 3 children, who were hired to harvest ketum
POLICE rescued 23 Cambodians, including three children, from alleged labour exploitation, during a raid in Kampung Lamdin, Naka here, on Monday night. State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Mior Farid Alatrash Wahid said the 12.15am operation was conducted by members of the ATIPSOM D9 task force, led by Assistant Superintendent Saudi Abdul Rahman from the state police headquarters’ CID and assisted by Padang Terap CID.
Mior Farid said the team found 11 men and nine women, aged between 25 and 30s, as well as two boys and a girl, aged between 5 and 10, during the raids on two estate houses there.
“We arrested a local man, aged 46, who was believed to be the victims’ employer. Checks revealed that he has a criminal record for offences under the Poisons Act.
“Preliminary investigations showed the man employed the victims to harvest ketum leaves and did not possess any legal permits or documents,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Mior Farid said further inspections led to the discovery of three canopies, erected at the site to collect ketum leaves found in 205 packages and weighing 1,025kg.
It is understood that the suspect raked in up to RM60,000 in monthly sales of ketum leaves.
“We found that the suspect was involved in planting ketum trees and hiring foreigners to harvest the leaves, which were sold for profit without legal documents.
“There were elements of exploitation and forced labour, an offence under Section 15 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (Act 670).
“It is learnt that none of the workers understood local language and law, making them easy targets of exploitation.”
Police seized ketum leaves worth RM20,000.