Police rescue seven Filipina victims of human-trafficking syndicate

LABUAN: Police raided an entertainment outlet here early today and rescued seven Filipinas believed to be victims of a human-trafficking syndicate and arrested 21 others for working as guest relations officers without permits.
Labuan Police chief ACP Adzhar Othman said the raid was conducted by personnel from the Labuan Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Sabah Police at about 2am. The outlet had allegedly hired foreign workers as guest relations officers without proper documents.
He said the alleged victims of human trafficking had no valid travel documents and were aged between 23 and 30.

"The victims are currently under police custody. The operation was part of our efforts of monitoring vice-related activities island-wide," he told Bernama.

Adzhar also said that the 21 Filipinas arrested for working as guest relations officers (GROs) without permits were aged between 23 and 53.

"We also arrested a 52-year-old local man, who is the caretaker of the premises, and two other workers, aged 37 and 57, during the raid," he said.

Adzhar said the women were being detained for further questioning and that the case was being investigated under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, the Immigration Act 1959/1963, the Immigration Act 1959/1963 and Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963.

He reminded all employers to secure proper documentation when hiring foreign workers and not to get involved with human trafficking syndicates, saying that human trafficking was a serious offence. — Bernama