Human trafficking ring busted in vice raids

KUALA LUMPUR: They operated in a manner which any business establishment would undertake.

The bills were settled, receipts issued and workers were ferried for their appointments.

There were even working hours in place.

However, the facade, which was in place for the past eight months, was taken down when police busted their operations and, in the process, rescued 35 female victims and nabbed eight members of a human trafficking syndicate.

Of the victims, 30 were from India and the rest from Sri Lanka, aged between 25 and 35.

In an operation codenamed Op Atip Khas, police raided three locations here — a condominium in Persiaran Syed Putra 2 and two flats in Jalan Berhala, Brickfields.

Those nabbed in the operations, which took place at 5am on Friday, included the syndicate’s head and his deputy, as well as three drivers and three caretakers of the premises.

“The syndicate is headed by a 32year-old Sri Lankan and assisted by a 47-year-old woman from India,” said city police chief Datuk Amar Singh, adding that other members of the syndicate, who were arrested included two Indians.

He said the syndicate duped victims into coming to Malaysia with the promise of work as maids and shop assistants, as well as in the plantation sector.

However, when the victims arrived, the syndicate instead put them to work in the flesh trade, he added.

“The syndicate targeted foreigners (from Bangladesh, India and Nepal) as their main clients but there was also demand from Malaysians.”

Amar said the syndicate conducted its activities between 8am and 8pm.

“The victims would be paid RM30 for each client, with an average of four clients daily,” he said, adding that the women earned between RM3,000 and RM4,000 a month.

The victims were also ferried from their condominiums and flats to work locations with cars and taxis managed by the syndicate.

Amar said checks revealed that 14 of the victims from India were found to have overstayed in Malaysia, whereas the rest did not have any identification documents.

In the raid, police seized 54 handphones, jewellery, three vehicles, 17 passports, a work registry, payment receipts, notebooks and RM15,000 in cash.

The case is being investigated under sections 12 and 44 of the AntiTrafficking in Persons and AntiSmuggling of Migrants Act 2007.