KUALA LUMPUR: Five syndicates involved in job scams and illegal online gambling were busted by the police in the Klang Valley and Johor.
In a written Parliamentary reply, the Home Ministry said it had conducted five operations and rescued 25 individuals suspected of being trafficked.
The authorities also arrested 20 local suspects.
“Investigations are being carried out under Sections 12 and 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (Act 670),” it said.
The ministry said the operations were carried out to tackle online gambling-related scams domestically, through the police.
So far, the police has conducted a series of integrated operations from August 2022 to September 2024.
“These efforts aim to eradicate and prevent job scam syndicates, particularly those targeting Malaysians with offers of employment abroad,” it added.
The ministry was replying to a question by Datuk Siti Aminah Aching (BN-Beaufort) on the efforts undertaken by the ministry to address human trafficking syndicates that deceive victims online by offering attractive job opportunities, only to coerce them into working as online gambling fraud “scammers.”
As of Sept 20, the ministry said the police had received 427 reports related to job scam crimes, involving 557 Malaysians as victims.
“Of these, 429 victims have been rescued, while 128 remain stranded abroad,” it said.
Among the ongoing efforts by the police to tackle job scam syndicates include engagement sessions with Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos to share information and coordinate rescue missions for victims.
