Kumpulan bawa kanak-kanak mengemis tumpas, 17 mangsa selamat

Policing department head M Kumar announced that Malaysian police have rescued 17 foreign children who were believed to be victims of human trafficking during a joint operation targeting a syndicate in their home country, yesterday. The 15 children, including seven boys and eight girls aged three months to 14 years, were rescued from seven locations in Bukit Bintang and Chow Kit.

The rescue operation, known as "Swift Compassion," focused on combating child trafficking and exploitation for commercial purposes, primarily involving foreign nationals from the Asia region around Kuala Lumpur. All the rescued children were Jordanian nationals.

During the joint operation, 15 individuals, comprising seven men and eight women aged between 21 and 49 years, who were suspected Jordanians based on stolen travel documents, were arrested for investigation of trafficking one child for exploitation. Out of the total arrested, five individuals failed to produce valid travel documents, according to M Kumar's statement.

Police allege that this group is a syndicate working with Jordanian nationals. Initial investigations found the group entered Malaysia legally using social visit passes, allowing them to stay in the country for 90 days. The group brought children for commercial exploitation in the Kuala Lumpur area, earning an estimated daily earnings of RM500 to RM1,000 daily, the police said.

Further investigations were conducted under Section 14 of the Anti-Human Trafficking Act, Section 32(A) of the Children Act, Section 6(1)(C) of the Immigration Act, and Section 39(B) of the Immigration Rules. Police conducted the Swift Compassion operation in collaboration with the Anti-Human Trafficking and Anti-Migration Committee, the Ministry of Interior, and the Welfare Department.