Kuala Lumpur: One of the 25 Malaysians rescued from a job scam syndicate in Myanmar on March 12 was arrested after police investigations revealed that he played a role in recruiting locals with the intention of scamming for big bucks. Deputy director (Intelligence/Operations) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Bukit Aman, Datuk Fadil Marsus, stated that the 20-year-old man was detained after police conducted a screening and interrogation on all the victims who were brought back by bus from Tak Province, Thailand, on that date.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Fadil Marsus explained that out of the 25 individuals, only six were genuine victims. These victims will be given an interim protection order and during the investigation period, their protection will be ensured. The remaining individuals are suspected to be recruiters, facilitators, or workers for the syndicate who had previously visited the location before requesting rescue. The arrested man will be remanded for seven days until March 20 for further investigation, and police have opened five investigation papers under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (ATIPSOM) (Act 670) involving contingents from Kuala Lumpur and Johor.
The other rescued Malaysians are still under investigation, with genuine victims granted an interim protection order for 21 days. On March 12, the group of 25 Malaysians who were victims of a job scam syndicate were repatriated via Mae Sot, Tak Province, northern Thailand, after being handed over by Myanmar authorities to the Malaysian Embassy through Thai authorities.
Meanwhile, from January 1, 2021, to March 13, a total of 489 police reports have been received involving 637 individuals, including 517 men and 120 women, aged between 22 to 39, being victims of overseas job scams in countries like Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. Out of the total, 504 individuals were rescued, while 133 remain stranded abroad.
Investigations revealed that 83 percent of the victims had an educational background up to the Malaysian Certificate of Education level, and the primary medium through which job offers were received was social media platforms such as Facebook, Telegram, and WeChat, followed by invitations from friends or family. A study by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) found that not all individuals rescued from human trafficking syndicates meet the definition of victims under the ATIPSOM Act. Over 70 percent of them were aware of the job nature, including roles related to crime such as scamming and gambling, suggesting that they were not entirely deceived but feigned innocence after rescue.
Fadil highlighted that from 2022 until now, the ATIPSOM division D3 successfully dismantled six syndicates recruiting Malaysians for such jobs. He also advised the public to be cautious of overseas job offers through social media, often promising lucrative salaries and benefits to lure prospective victims.