KUALA LUMPUR – The inclusion of whipping and imprisonment of more than 20 years for members of human trafficking and migrant-smuggling syndicates are among the proposals for amendments to the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
The law currently carries a jail sentence of 15 years and a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Bukit Aman CID Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Division (D3) intelligence/operations officer Cha Hoong Fong said the amendments were in the process of getting approval in Parliament.
“This matter has been discussed with the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Council (MAPO), namely to look at stricter punishment against them (syndicates),” he said while appearing on the Ruang Bicara programme on Bernama TV last night.
Cha said the heftier punishment is part of efforts to curb the activities of syndicates that was making the country a hub for such criminal activities.
He said in the meantime, the police is using the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).
“We began using it in 2019 to tackle these kinds of criminal activities, where it has a significant impact on them (syndicates) because it is placed under organised crime, and makes it possible to cripple the syndicate involved,” said Cha.
He said through Sosma, suspected syndicate members go through a longer detention period for investigations.
“A total of six migrant trafficking and smuggling syndicates were successfully crippled last year,” he said, adding that 146 cases involving human trafficking and migrant smuggling were recorded last year compared with 272 cases in 2019, pointing to the effectiveness of police enforcement in the matter. – Bernama, April 10, 2021
