Latest news with #Anti-TraffickinginPersonsandAnti-SmugglingofMigrantsAct2007
New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
55-year-old woman charged with trafficking underage boy and girl
JOHOR BARU: A 55-year-old woman was charged in the Sessions Court here today with two counts of trafficking underage children last year. The accused, Haliza Palok, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out by the court interpreter before Judge Thalha Bachok @ Embok Mok. According to the charge sheet, Haliza was alleged to have trafficked a boy, aged between 10 and 12, and a girl, aged between 13 and 15 by exploiting them for illegal activities under Section 5(1)(c) of the Children and Young Persons (Employment) Act. The alleged offence was committed at Jalan Kargo 2, Senai Airport City, Senai, at 6.54pm on Dec 19 last year. The charges were framed under Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 that carries a sentence of life imprisonment or a minimum of five years' jail and whipping upon conviction. Deputy public prosecutor from the Immigration Department, Tan Yen Thung, proposed bail of RM20,000 for each charge with two sureties. Tan also proposed the court impose additional conditions including monthly reporting to the Johor Immigration Office and surrendering the accused's international passport to the court. However, lawyer Amarpreet Singh Rajwinder Singh, representing the accused, requested minimal bail, stating that his client was unaware of being charged today and that both she and her husband were unemployed. The court later granted bail of RM17,000 for both charges with two guarantors, along with two additional conditions as proposed by the prosecution. The accused was also prohibited from interfering with prosecution witnesses. The case is fixed for mention on Aug 27 for the submission of documents.
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Mom of four charged with trafficking, exploiting children in Johor
JOHOR BARU: A 55-year-old woman has claimed trial to two counts of trafficking and exploiting underage children. The accused, Haliza Palok, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read before Sessions Court judge Thalha Bachok @ Embok Mok on Friday (May 30) here. In the first charge, Haliza was accused of trafficking a boy, estimated to be between 10 and 12 years old, and exploiting him for activities in violation of Section 5(1)(c) of the Children and Young Persons (Employment) Act 1966. For the second charge, she was accused of committing the same offence against a girl believed to be between 13 and 15 years old. She was alleged to have committed the offences at around 6.54pm on Dec 19 last year, at Jalan Kargo 2, Senai Airport City. The charges were framed under Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, which provides for life imprisonment or a minimum of five years' jail and whipping, upon conviction. The prosecution was led by Immigration Department deputy public prosecutor Tan Yen Thung, while Haliza was represented by Amarpreet Singh, who appeared on behalf of lawyer Mohd Amierul Sharafi Shahazan. Tan requested bail to be set at RM20,000 for each charge with two sureties and for the accused to surrender her passport and report to the department once a month. Amarpreet asked for a lower amount, citing that his client and her husband were currently unemployed. He added that the accused, a mother of four, suffers from hypertension and had not been informed earlier that she would be charged in court. 'The accused was only told to go to the Immigration office to give her statement. She and her family had only a few hours to prepare the bail money,' he said. Judge Thalha then set bail at RM17,000 in total with two sureties, and allowed the prosecution's additional conditions. She also instructed the accused not to contact or disturb the victims and fixed Aug 27 for the next mention. It is learnt that the two children, believed to be from the Philippines, were made to work at a battery factory. It was also learnt that the accused had allegedly acted as a middleperson who 'supplied' workers to businesses.
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Police uncover human smuggling syndicate, rescue four victims
JOHOR BARU: Police have arrested three Myanmar nationals believed to be involved in a human smuggling syndicate that exploited victims by forcing them to work as guest relation officers (GROs). Johor police chief Comm Datuk M. Kumar said the suspects, aged 30 to 49, were arrested on May 8 in Johor Baru and Kuala Lumpur. "We also managed to rescue four women, aged 21 to 26, who are believed to be victims of labour exploitation. "We believe the syndicate lured victims to Malaysia with promises of waitress jobs at restaurants offering salaries between RM1,500 and RM2,000 a month," he said in a statement. Comm Kumar said the victims, who are also Myanmar nationals, were believed to have been smuggled into the country through Rantau Panjang, Kelantan. "They were then brought to Senai by land and forced to work as GROs in entertainment outlets. "The victims allegedly worked without pay for about two months to 'repay' the cost of entering Malaysia, which was about RM20,000," he said. Comm Kumar added that the women were confined in a locked hostel and closely monitored. "If they asked about their wages, they would be beaten. The suspects also sent them videos of abuse to intimidate them," he said. He said police also seized a padlock with keys and a tripod believed to have been used to lock and assault the victims. Comm Kumar said two of the suspects will be charged at the Johor Baru Sessions Court under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (Act 670), for human trafficking offences on Friday (May 30).
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
IGP: 144 saved from human traffickers so far this year
The Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain during the Certificates of Appreciation during the Appreciation Ceremony of the Inspector-General of Police with the Media, 2025 in Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur.— MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star PETALING JAYA: Large-scale operations against human trafficking in the early part of this year have seen over 100 victims rescued, says Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain (pic). A total of 45 operations led to the arrest of 249 suspects, he said at the monthly assembly of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Bukit Aman yesterday. 'One hundred and forty-four victims were saved from the net of human exploitation under Section 44 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007. 'The CID also recorded successes in the implementation of Operation Cyber Guardian organised by the Singapore Police Force, involving Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. 'The operation that ran from Feb 28 to March 28 also focused on dismantling online sex crime (networks) against children. This operation then led to the arrest of four suspects, including a civil servant, as well as the seizure of over 50,000 pieces of child sex abuse material,' he said. The other suspects detained in the investigation were an accountant, a web designer and a telecommunications industry worker, Razarudin added. 'The arrest highlights the severe threat of cyber sexual crimes targeting vulnerable groups and reaffirm CID's unwavering commitment to combat these despicable offences,' he said. The IGP also commended ongoing efforts against illegal gambling via Ops Dadu Khas. 'A total of 6,719 raids were conducted with 8,603 people arrested. We also seized 3,464 electrical devices, including computers and handphones, as well as RM1.6mil in cash,' he said.
Barnama
4 days ago
- Barnama
CID Nets Three Major Victories Against Trafficking, Cybercrime And Gambling
KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 (Bernama) -- The Criminal Investigation Department (JSJ) at Bukit Aman continues to enhance its efforts in tackling various forms of crime through several large-scale operations carried out in the early part of this year. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said one of the major successes was the execution of Operasi Pintas Mega, led by the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) division in collaboration with police contingents nationwide in February. He said the operation also involved strategic cooperation with other agencies including the Immigration Department, Labour Department and Local Authorities (PBT). 'During the operation, a total of 45 raids were conducted, resulting in the arrest of 249 individuals and the rescue of 144 victims from human trafficking networks under Section 44 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (Act 670). 'This achievement demonstrates the Royal Malaysia Police's (PDRM) dedication and capability in combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling professionally and comprehensively,' he said during the Bukit Aman Monthly Assembly today. Razarudin also highlighted international achievements through participation in Operation Cyber Guardian, organised by the Singapore Police Force, which included five countries: Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia. 'The operation, conducted from Feb 28 to March 28 this year, focused on eradicating online sexual abuse of children,' he said. 'A total of 46 police officers were deployed with support from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the K9 Detection Unit to detect electronic devices used to store and distribute prohibited materials via peer-to-peer platforms and the Telegram app,' he said. Four individuals, namely an accountant, a web designer, a telecommunications industry worker and a civil servant, were arrested with more than 50,000 pieces of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) seized, Razarudin added.
