56 rescued from ‘ beggars’ syndicate

> 52 suspects who used senior citizens, children held

SHAH ALAM: Police arrested 52 suspects and rescued 56 victims after busting begging syndicates using senior citizens and children as beggars.

The rackets, police learnt, were run by both locals and foreigners.

Selangor police chief Commissioner Datuk Mazlan Mansor said police conducted 24 raids under an operation codenamed Ops Ehsan in the state to clamp down on such activies.

“The syndicate can be termed as ‘unhealthy’. These syndicates use senior citizens and children to beg under the pretext of collecting donations for welfare homes and religious causes.

“Police do not care if they have documents to prove they are legal.

“They show documents to our officers but it does not matter as the activities are against the law,” Mazlan said after attending the Selangor police contingent monthly assembly yesterday.

Mazlan revealed the suspects would drop the so-called beggars in the morning to beg and pick them up in the evening.

“Some 40 suspects were foreigners, and some of the detainees were drivers who transport these beggars.”

Police have also brought 14 begging syndicate cases to court for offences under the AntiTrafficking in Persons Act and the Immigration Act.

On a separate matter, Mazlan said police so far have detained six suspects under the Prevention of Crime Act (Poca) in their efforts to weed out illegal gambling in the state.

“Three hundred and seventy two suspects were held under Poca for various offences.

“For serious crimes, 173 were nabbed, for property crime ...142, for underworld gang involvement ...48, illegal gambling ...six and for other cases, three suspects were held.”

He said the number of individuals probed under Poca recorded an increase of 110 suspects over the year.