PETALING JAYA: The collection of monies from begging at night markets, food courts and restaurants in Johor Bahru which reached RM8,000 per month, prompting a human trafficking syndicate to exploit foreign individuals with disabilities (OKU) for profit.
However, the syndicate, believed to have been operating for the past two months, was crippled after a team of officers from the anti-vice, gambling and secret societies division (D7) of the Johor Bahru Selatan district police headquarters arrested three members, including a woman.
According to Harian Metro, Johor police chief Commissioner M Kumar said the arrests followed raids conducted at various locations around the city on June 13 and 19.
“In the raid on June 13, police arrested a local man and woman, aged 42 and 53, who acted as transporters.
“The police also rescued two foreign male OKU, aged 44 and 50 and seized three mobile phones, three cars, loudspeakers, microphones and RM1,859 in cash.”
“During a follow-up raid at an apartment in the city at 11.45 on June 19, police arrested a 42-year-old local man who acted as the syndicate’s caretaker or manager,“ he said.
He explained that the syndicate’s modus operandi involved going to the selected country to recruit OKU individuals, offering them jobs as beggars.
The syndicate managed the documentation process, including passports, and brought them to Malaysia, where they were placed in rented houses.
The transporters then took them to and from begging locations daily.
“The daily earnings from begging, amounting to RM250 to RM300, had to be handed over to the caretaker, who collected them weekly. The victims were required to pay RM800 per week for passport processing,“ he said.
“The victims had to work six hours a day and pay RM10 per hour to the transporters who took them to the begging locations.”
The syndicate’s caretaker or manager has been charged in the Sessions Court here today under Section 14 of Act 670 Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
“Police are still hunting for two more suspects and arrest warrants have been issued. The two victims have been placed in a shelter temporarily,“ he said.
