Kuala lumpur: Police rescued 138 victims of human trafficking in 77 raids carried out simultaneously nationwide under a special operation code named Op Pintas Khas (Pemerdagangan Orang) yesterday. Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (JSJ) director Datuk M. Kumar said the victims comprised 58 men, 23 women, 39 boys, and 18 girls aged between 12 and 51, including a boy with disabilities.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the victims involved eight Malaysians, as well as nationals from the Philippines (eight), Myanmar (75), Indonesia (34), and Bangladesh (13). The focus of the operation was to identify victims of human trafficking, specifically those subjected to labour exploitation in sectors such as oil palm plantations, rubber glove manufacturing, and other manufacturing and services industries. This was guided by the National Guideline on Human Trafficking Indicators (NGHTI) 2.0.

Of the 77 raids conducted, 12 involved the manufacturing sector, 19 the plantation sector, 41 the services and business sector, while five raids involved other sectors. Kumar noted that the indicators of forced labour and human trafficking identified included exploitation of vulnerability, deception, control of movement, confinement, retention of identity documents, withholding of wages, poor working and living conditions, and excessive overtime.

In the same operation, 67 individuals comprising 42 locals and 25 foreigners aged between 30 and 69, believed to be employers and supervisors of the victims, were also arrested. All those detained are being investigated under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 and the Immigration Act 1959/63.

Kumar emphasized that the police would not compromise with any party involved in human trafficking crimes and would take action in accordance with existing laws. He urged the public to channel information related to human trafficking crimes to the nearest police station to assist efforts to eradicate these crimes.