18 people, including children, rescued from slavery at palm oil plantation (Updated)

IPOH: Police rescued 18 people including seven children from the clutches of a couple, a husband and wife team, who force laboured them at a palm oil plantation, Belukar Semang, Kampung Tasek in Pengkalan Hulu, Hulu Perak district today.
The man aged 24 from Rumah Kedai Kampung Jabi, Batu 10, Pokok Sena, Kedah and his wife, 43, from Taman Sornam, Bahau, Negri Sembilan were arrested at the same location.
The victims include five men, six women, three boys and four girls aged between two and 17 years of age.
The case is being investigated under Section 13 and 14 of the Anti Trafficking in Persons and Anti Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
Following information received, Perak CID chief Datuk Gan Tian Kee said a police team raided the plantation and rescued the victims at 12.10am.
"One of the victims told us the woman employer beats them if they refused to work in the plantation. They were also cheated on their wages. The workers will be threatened and beaten if they queried about their salaries ," he added.
Gan said initial investigations revealed that the woman had also forced the five children to work at the plantation without wages.
Police also seized several documents including identity cards,temporary identity documents , birth certificates, insurance policies, diaries, notebooks and Companies Commission of Malaysia documents.
A Nissan Navara car and a Mitsubishi Fuso lorry were also seized.