Deceived by job offer, 19-year-old ends up as human trafficking victim

AFTER more than a year of being a victim of human trafficking in a region in Myanmar, a 19-year-old youth who was deceived by a job offer abroad, arrived safely in Malaysia last night.

The victim, originally from Sibu, Sarawak, was rescued with the help of the Malaysia International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO), after he contacted the organization's activist, Azirul Syafiq Sazali.

The youth claimed to have fallen prey to a crypto scam after receiving a job offer in Thailand.

Azirul Syafiq said that in July last year, he boarded a flight from Sibu to Kuala Lumpur before being taken to Bangkok.

He said that unfortunately, upon arriving in Bangkok, the victim, who thought he would start working in Thailand, was smuggled out to a region in Myanmar, Mywaddy, before being forced to work at a fraudulent crypto investment company.

"The victim contacted me on October 23, informing me that he was ready to leave the fraud syndicate," he said.

Azirul Syafiq said he was in Bangkok last Monday, with another activist friend, to attend a meeting with the Thai military, which is responsible for controlling the border between the two countries.

When the victim contacted him again saying he was ready to flee, he sought help from Thai military authorities to take the victim out.

He said the young man was lucky because for the past few days, the entrance and exit doors to the company's compound had been unlocked, making it easier for him to escape.

"Upon arrival in Thailand, the victim was taken directly to Bangkok to obtain travel documents.

"The court process was also not long and after emergency travel documents were issued by the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok, the victim was brought home," he said.

Azirul Syafiq said that after being cheated, the victim's family asked for MCA's help to help the young man, but it only brought misery when the syndicate abused the victim.

"The victim's disappearance also caused the syndicate's mastermind to offer a total of US$30,000 to anyone who could bring him back to Mywaddy," he said.

Currently, Azirul Syafiq said that 23 Malaysians were victims of fraud in Mywaddy. - November 1, 2025