IPOH: Police rescued 26 foreigners from Bangladesh and India believed to be victims of labour exploitation from a building in Hutan Melintang, near Bagan Datuk.
Perak police chief Comm Datuk Azizi Mat Aris said on July 16, at about 1.30am, a team from the Bagan Datuk district police headquarters, and from the Hutan Melintang police station, raided the premises at Kampung Seri Perkasa.
He said checks at the premises found a 52-year-old local man, and a 35-year-old Bangladeshi, both believed to be caretakers of the building who lived on the premises.
“The suspects were instructed to open the locked grille door, and inside the building police located 24 Bangladeshi men, and two men from India.
“The victims, aged from their 20s to their 50s, were locked inside the building for the past eight days, and are believed to be exploited to work as labourers in the plantation industry without being paid salaries,” he told a press conference at the state police contingent headquarters here Thursday (July 18).
Comm Azizi said the victims were brought to the district police headquarters for further investigations, while the two caretakers were arrested.
“Upon questioning, another local man, aged 32, was arrested. He is believed to be involved in the exploitation of the foreigners as well.
“The case will be investigated under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (Atipsom) 2007,” he added.
