KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 — The case of 43 Malaysians tricked by a Macau Scam syndicate before being rescued by the Peruvian police in Lima, Peru, is the first one involving Malaysian citizens in South America, says Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain.
From the preliminary information obtained, all the victims, comprising 17 men and 26 women aged between 20 and 30, were believed to have been deceived with lucrative offers of employment abroad.
“Employment scams like this are not new, but this is the first time we have encountered victims being trafficked to South America.
“We are waiting for the return of all the victims… once they get here, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Division (D3) will interview them to identify the recruiter who took them to Peru,” he said during a special press conference in Bukit Aman today.
All those who left Malaysia on September 29 were believed to be using valid passports, and the police will check with the Immigration Department to find out whether they travelled individually or in a group.
In a statement on Saturday (October 7), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that 43 Malaysians who were victims of human trafficking by a Macau Scam syndicate were rescued during a Peruvian police raid on a house in La Molina, Lima.
Meanwhile, Razarudin said the police are still waiting for information from the International Police (Interpol) regarding the Red Notice application filed against former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyidin Yasin’s son-in-law, Datuk Seri Muhammad Adlan Berhan.
“The application has been sent to Interpol Asia, and they are awaiting a response from the Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France. However, we are confident the red notice will be issued,” he said.
On Tuesday (October 3), the police submitted the documents required for a red notice application against Muhammad Adlan and his lawyer, Mansoor Saat, to Interpol.
Regarding the Palestinian charity rally planned by several parties, including political parties, as a sign of Malaysia’s solidarity at selected mosques in the capital this Friday (October 13), Razarudin said the police have yet to receive any official notification.
— Bernama
