Police free 26 Bangladeshi men from illegal confinement

IPOH: Police have rescued 26 Bangladeshi immigrants suspected to be victims of forced labour who were illegally confined in a building at Kampung Seri Perkasa, Hutang Melintang, about 100 km from here.

Perak police chief Datuk Azizi Mat Aris said the Bangladeshi men are illegal immigrants aged between 22 and 51.

He said they had been confined for eight days before being freed by a police team who raided the building on Tuesday (July 16).

Police also arrested two local men and a male Bangladeshi, aged between 32 and 52, in connection with the case, which is being investigated under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (ATIPSOM).

"An inspection of the building found a local man and a Bangladeshi man acting as caretakers of the foreign nationals, while another suspect was detained after further investigation," he said at a press conference at the Perak police headquarters here today.

He said all the rescued victims were taken to the Bagan Datuk district police headquarters for further investigation.

-- BERNAMA