A Malaysian human trafficking victim was successfully rescued after she pleaded for help on the Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Samdech Krolahom Sar Kheng’s Facebook page was responded.
A spokesperson from the Cambodian Ministry of Interior said the victim was held captive by a group of Chinese nationals in the coastal city of Sihanoukville, south-west of Cambodia.
She claimed to have paid a ransom of US$7,000 (RM31,000) for her release but ended up being sold to another syndicate.
Responding to the victim’s plea, Sar Kheng ordered the local police to conduct a raid on premises belonging to the human traffickers and rescued the woman.
The operation was a success and the local police managed to rescue her and also detained 5 Chinese nationals who were involved in the syndicate. Meanwhile, they are also currently looking for the other syndicate members who are at large.
It was reported that the woman had lost about US$90,000 (RM404,000) and 2 mobile phones during the ordeal. She also pleaded with the local police to help her recover her loss and get back to Malaysia.
However, it was not reported how she ended up becoming a victim of human trafficking.
In a separate report by Bernama, it is said that one of the most common ways Malaysians fell victim to human trafficking in Cambodia is by applying for false lucrative job opportunities online.
Malaysian ambassador to Cambodia Eldeen Husaini Mohd Hashim shares that the modus operandi of many human trafficking syndicates is to post high-paying job offers on social media.
However, when the victims arrive at the kingdom, they were forced to work as phone operator to scam other unsuspecting victims around the world.
These victims were also not allowed to return to their countries and will force their families to pay a ransom for their release, which their release is not guaranteed.
“To date, there are more than 60 cases of Malaysians falling for job scams and are pending further actions. We are working closely with the Cambodian authorities in facilitating them to return home,” Eldeen said.
He also advised Malaysians to be wary of job recruitment advertisements promising lucrative pay overseas.
“Check with relevant authorities including the embassy to validate the job offers. Do inform your parents and relatives in Malaysia if you receive such offer. They might give you a valuable second opinion on whether the job offer is a scam,” he said.
