KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department detained 14 foreign nationals in an operation to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling at two restaurants in Shah Alam, Selangor, yesterday.
During the 10.30 pm operation, immigration officers also rescued an underage foreign boy suspected of being exploited for forced labour.
Immigration Department (Operations) deputy director-general, Jafri Embok Taha, stated that the detainees comprised 10 men and four women from Myanmar, Indonesia, and India, suspected of violating the Immigration Act.
“Based on tip-offs, several foreign nationals without valid passes were found working and suspected to be victims of human trafficking,” he said in a statement today.
Jafri added that two local employers were arrested, and four witness summonses were issued to individuals identified to assist in the investigation.
He stated that the investigation is being conducted under Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) Act 2007 (Act 670), specifically for trafficking children for exploitation.
The operation, which employed the approach of identifying human trafficking victims among vulnerable groups based on the National Guideline on Human Trafficking Indicators 2.0, involved a team of officers from the ATIPSOM & AMLA Prevention Division, Immigration Headquarters, Putrajaya.
