KUALA LUMPUR – Wisma Putra has announced that its diplomatic mission in Manila has successfully identified 127 Malaysians among the 134 victims rescued in a raid on a Philippine offshore gaming operator by the Philippine authorities on June 27.
Following the rescue operation conducted by the local police, the Filipino government will initiate the deportation process for all the victims after completing the necessary investigations and documentation.
In response, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, through the Malaysian embassy in Manila, will provide appropriate consular assistance to facilitate the repatriation of all the victims back to Malaysia in the near future.
During consular visits conducted by Malaysian officials, it was determined that all the Malaysian victims were in good health.
However, certain logistical and welfare issues are currently being addressed by local authorities to ensure the well-being of all Malaysian citizens involved in the incident.
The recent raid in the Philippines uncovered a criminal syndicate involved in cybercrime, with over 2,700 victims from various countries, including Malaysia.
The victims had fallen prey to fraudulent job offers and were subsequently subjected to forced labour and unlawful imprisonment.
https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/95473/wisma-putra-on-alert-after-msian-job-scam-victims-rescued-in-philippines
The ministry was alerted to the situation and closely monitored the developments.
The Malaysian embassy immediately commenced the process of identifying and verifying the status of the victims believed to be Malaysian citizens, out of the total number of victims associated with the criminal syndicate.
Earlier this year, Malaysia experienced a similar incident when dozens of Malaysians were rescued in Cambodia after being lured by a job scam syndicate.
The victims were deceived with attractive job offers, but upon arrival in Cambodia, they were subjected to prison-like conditions and forced to participate in fraudulent activities, such as making phone calls to scam unsuspecting individuals.
Putrajaya, through its embassy in Hanoi, provided support and assistance to the victims in Cambodia, including counselling and obtaining detailed information related to the incident. – The Vibes, June 30, 2023
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