A DISTRAUGHT 60-year-old retiree, Abdul Rahman Hamid, is appealing to the government for help to rescue his son, Mohd Addie Azrinn Abd Rahman, believed to be held captive by a syndicate in Myanmar.
He claimed that the syndicate had demanded a ransom of RM120,000, threatening to harvest his son's organs or force him into a scam call centre if the money wasn't paid.
Abdul Rahman, originally from Kota Belud and now living in Kinarut, Papar, described receiving several heart-wrenching calls from his son, who is pleading for his life.
“My son said to me, ‘Don’t let them sell me to an organ trafficker,’” Abdul Rahman recalled, his voice breaking into tears.
“He was crying and begging me to get the money. I know my son — when he cries like that, it’s real.”
His plight was made public after a non-governmental organisation, the Malaysian International Humanitarian Organisation, asked him to highlight his plight.
Addie Azrinn, 29, had been working as a dispatch rider before losing his job when his company shut down.
He then took on freelance work to make ends meet, and that’s when he was introduced to a seemingly legitimate short-term job by a friend — a role accompanying a Chinese businesswoman to buy gold in Bangkok, Thailand.
The offer had originally been made to Addie’s older brother by a former schoolmate, but when both his brother and the friend declined due to personal reasons, Addie, desperate for stable income, took the opportunity.
“A friend of his, a Chinese national, convinced him that the job was safe, and all expenses were covered,” Abdul Rahman explained.
“It seemed like a good opportunity at first, but it quickly became a nightmare.”
A nightmare
Abdul Rahman described how things spiralled out of control after his son left for the peninsula on October 17.
Arriving in the peninsula, Abdul Rahman was then taken to Bangkok by road but arriving there, he was then taken into another vehicle and was taken to Mae Sot in Myanmar.
This was not part of the job travel description and Addie was supposed to return to Kota Kinabalu on October 23.
“At first, he called me and spoke in Malay, but in the background, I heard someone speaking Chinese.
“That’s when I knew this was serious. It’s a syndicate, and they’ve trapped him. Now they’re demanding RM120,000,” he said.
Though Addie is an adult who makes his own decisions, Abdul Rahman never expected something like this to happen.
Despite his son’s kidnapping, Abdul Rahman has managed to stay in contact with him.
The most recent call came just yesterday, with Addie asking if his father had managed to raise the ransom money.
“I’ve asked everyone I know for help — friends, relatives — I’ve even tried to borrow money. But RM120,000 is a huge sum,” Abdul Rahman said.
Running out of time
“I’m pleading with the government, our Chief Minister and the Prime Minister to step in and bring my son home.”
“I just want my son back. I can’t let them harm him. I’m running out of time, and I don’t know what else to do.”
Abdul Rahman also shared that some of his son’s friends have received similar calls, asking them for money to help with the ransom.
Syndicate scams have become a growing threat, particularly in countries like Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia.
These criminal organisations lure victims with promises of lucrative jobs abroad, only to hold them captive upon arrival.
Victims are often forced to participate in illegal activities, such as scam call centres, where they are coerced into defrauding people around the world through phone scams.
If ransom demands are not met, captives face the risk of organ trafficking or being sold into forced labour.
These syndicates operate with sophisticated networks, preying on vulnerable individuals seeking employment. - October 25, 2024
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