KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 24 individuals, including those from the top management of Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISB), have been remanded for five days from Monday (Sept 30) to assist in investigations related to forced labour.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said that all the individuals concerned, including the wife and three children of a top management personnel, were remanded until Friday (Oct 4) for investigations under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) (Amendment) Act 2022.
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"All of them were remanded again following a police report lodged by a victim in Cheras who claimed to have been exploited by the suspect(s) while working at the company and did not receive a salary," he said when contacted on Monday (Sept 30).
Earlier, it was reported that as many as 10 police reports had been lodged by former GISBH followers who claimed they had to endure forced labour, following a call by police for exploited victims to come forward to assist in the investigation.
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Razarudin said the victims of forced labour were aged between 14 and 20 years old, and the locations where they were exploited were in Miri, Sarawak; Rawang, Selangor; and Alor Setar, Kedah between 2013 and this year.
On Sept 19, police confirmed that they had arrested the leaders of the company, including family members, in a raid at four residential units in Tower A, Berjaya Times Square 1, Jalan Imbi, Bukit Bintang at 5.40am.
The Shah Alam Magistrate's Court in Selangor then granted a remand application for seven days against all the individuals concerned.
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The same court on Sept 25 allowed the police's application to extend the detention of the 24 individuals for four days until Sept 28.
The case is being investigated under Section 32(a) of the Children Act 2001, Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, and Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (Amendment) Act 2022.
Police launched Op Global earlier this month and raided charity homes across Peninsular Malaysia linked to GISB, as they were suspected of child and religious exploitation activities.
In the raid, a total of 572 victims were rescued in operations leading to the arrest of 359 GISB followers, including those from the top management. – Bernama
