SHAH ALAM: Immigration officers rescued an underage foreign boy suspected of being exploited for forced labour during a raid on two restaurants in Shah Alam.
Immigration Department Deputy Director-General (Operations) Jafri Embok Taha said the raids, conducted at about 10.30pm on Thursday (Aug 15), also resulted in the detention of 14 undocumented foreigners and two local employers.
"The raids were based on a tip-off that a group of foreigners were working without proper passes and there was suspected human trafficking activity," he said.
Aside from rescuing the underage foreigner, 14 foreigners were detained – four men and a woman from Myanmar, three men and three women from Indonesia, and three male Indian nationals – for immigration offences.
Two local employers were also detained, and witness summonses were issued to four individuals to aid in the investigation.
"We are investigating under Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act 2007, which pertains to the trafficking of children for exploitation," Jafri said.
He added that the department views human trafficking seriously and will continue enforcement operations.
"We will take stern action against parties committing offences under the Atipsom Act. We also urge the public to contact the department if they have information on human trafficking cases and migrant smuggling," he said.
