Human trafficking syndicate busted, 21 victims rescued

KUALA LUMPUR: Police busted a human trafficking syndicate and rescued 21 victims including 13 children who were forced into becoming beggars in busy public areas in the city.
A 38-year-old man and a 45-year-old Myanmar woman were arrested in the operation on Sunday after Dang Wangi police carried out a month-long surveillance on the syndicate's activities.
Those rescued were 13 children including a baby aged between two-months and the oldest being a 16-year-old teenager and eight adults aged between 18 and 45 years-old.
Most of the victims are believed to be Myanmar nationals.
Dang Wangi police chief Mohd Sukri Kaman said today surveillance during the operation showed that the syndicate had forced the children to sell wrapped flowers and beg for money from the public at shopping malls and restaurants on Jalan Changkat Bukit Bintang and Jalan Alor.
He said police learnt that the suspects picked up their victims from their homes at about 9pm before sending them to the busy areas to sell the flowers for RM10 each until 6am.
Sukri said on Sunday between 8.15am and 11am, a police CID team carried out checks at five premises in Ampang where the two suspects were held and the victims comprising of - three men, five women, seven boys and six girls were rescued.
He said police seized a company-registered taxi, a small amount of cash, flower wrappers and flowers during the operation.
Sukri said both suspects were remanded today for further investigations under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
He urged the public to refrain from buying flowers or donating money when approached by children exploited by such syndicates.