Kota Kinabalu: A 30-year-old man from Manggatal became the latest Sabahan to fall victim to a human trafficking syndicate, after being lured by a fake job offer in Singapore, and later ending up captive in Cambodia.
Malaysia International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) Sabah Coordinator Capt (R) Jerry Jaimeh said the victim rushed to make a passport in October after being convinced by a local agent that he could land a well-paid job overseas.
“Instead of Singapore, he was taken across borders to Cambodia where his identification documents were seized.
“The victim said he was beaten, struck with objects and denied food for a week to pressure his family into paying ransom,” he said, adding he only contacted his family after the ordeal.
The man last managed to contact home on Saturday (Nov 29), telling relatives he was surviving only on tap water. The syndicate demanded US$10,000 (about RM44,000) for his release.
His 61-year-old mother and 55-year-old aunt, whom he contacted, attended the press conference, Thursday, and pleaded for assistance to bring him home.
Jerry said this is the seventh case involving Sabahan victims recorded by MHO this year, with five successfully rescued so far.
He said victims are usually handled by small recruitment syndicates who then “auction” them to bigger criminal networks.
“Even if families pay the ransom, it doesn’t guarantee their loved ones will return. Once they refuse to work or cannot scam people, they get sold again for a higher price,” he said, adding victims who resist forced crime work face grim consequences.
“If they are no longer profitable, the cruel reality is that some may become targets for organ harvesting. Every transfer to another syndicate increases that risk,” he said
MHO is now coordinating with the victim’s family, the police and Malaysian authorities abroad to expedite a rescue mission.
Jerry urged the public not to fall for suspicious high-salary overseas job offers and to always verify recruitment channels through official means.
“This is not just a scam. This is organised human trafficking that destroys families,” he said.
