Kuala lumpur: Police rescued 17 Jordanian children suspected of being victims of human trafficking for the purpose of begging during Op Pintas Kasih in Bukit Bintang and Chow Kit here yesterday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Datuk M. Kumar stated that the victims, rescued under Section 44 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (ATIPSOM) 2007 (Act 670), included eight boys and nine girls aged between three months and 14 years.

The police arrested 15 individuals, consisting of seven men and eight women believed to be Jordanian nationals aged between 21 and 49, during 13 raids conducted at various locations. These individuals are suspected of involvement in trafficking children for exploitation.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the group had entered Malaysia legally using Social Visit Passes, which permit a 90-day stay. The group allegedly used the children to beg around Kuala Lumpur, with daily collections estimated between RM500 and RM1,000.

Further investigations are ongoing to establish the relationship between the rescued children and those arrested. Police seized 14 mobile phones, 32 Jordanian passports, and cash in multiple currencies, including RM24,445, US$100, 100 euros, and 635,000 Indonesian rupiah during the operation.

The arrested individuals were taken to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters for further investigation. The case is being investigated under several sections of Malaysian law, including Section 14 of ATIPSOM 2007, Section 32A of the Child Act 2001, Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, and Section 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963.