Human trafficking victim near Gerik believed made sex slave

IPOH: One of 18 people rescued by the police last month from a worker exploitation syndicate in an oil palm plantation near Gerik has alleged she was forced into sex slavery.
The 23-year-old said in her police report that she became a sex slave to the manager of the plantation located in Kampung Tasek in Pengkalan Hulu.
Perak CID chief Datuk Gan Tian Kee said: "We are conducting further investigations on the woman's claim that she was forced to become a sex slave to the plantation manager.
"Based on the woman's information, we have gone to the location where she was allegedly raped for evidence.
"The victim has been warded at the Sungai Petani Hospital in Kedah for further treatment."
In a statement here today, he said the Lenggong Magistrate's Court had issued a seven-day remand order on the plantation manager, beginning yesterday to facilitate investigations.
He added the suspect's wife, who was also a plantation manager had been released on police bail.
On Feb 26, the alleged sex slave was among 18 locals, including five children believed to be victims of a human trafficking syndicate who were rescued in an operation at Kecil Kroh in Belukar Semang, Kampung Tasek.
Meanwhile, Gan said a team of Pengkalan Hulu policemen found a 14-year-old girl – another victim of human trafficking – at the plantation during a second investigation.
He said the girl was not among the 18 individuals rescued in the earlier operation.
"The teenager was found alone in the area when the police went to the area for the second time to comb for evidence on the rape case," he added. — Bernama