LABUAN – A Filipino woman and a local man have been apprehended in connection with a suspected human trafficking syndicate here.
Labuan police chief Mohd Hamizi Halim said the arrest on Friday in downtown Labuan, was triggered after police received a distress call from the Philippines’ embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
“The embassy was alerted by two Filipino women who managed to escape the place they were confined in,” he said today.
Hamizi said in response to the situation, a team from the Criminal Investigation Department swiftly carried out a raid on an undisclosed entertainment establishment.
“There, they successfully rescued five Filipino women, aged between 25 and 33, who were believed to be victims of human trafficking and forced to work in the entertainment outlet.
He said a six-day remand, effective from October 15 to 21, has been granted by the magistrates’ court to facilitate further investigations.
The duo are being investigated under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrant Act 2007, as well as Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Hamizi urged the public to share any information on criminal incidents or potential human trafficking activities with the police, as part of their collaborative effort to combat these unlawful activities. – October 15, 2023