The Perak police have urged members of the public with information on human trafficking syndicates - especially those involving children - to inform the authorities immediately.

Perak CID chief Datuk Gan Tian Kee advised the public to take pictures if they saw children begging or selling goods and submit them to the police.

"One way to stop this is by refraining to give money (alms), as the more people give, more children will be victimised.

"Take a picture and submit it to the police so that we can take action," he told reporters after attending the Perak police contingency's monthly assembly at its headquarters here, today.

Asked on the investigations into a human trafficking case in Gerik, Gan said the police had recorded statements from several individuals including the farm owners, doctors and employees of the Social Welfare Department.

"So far, only two people have been arrested and we (police) believe the case will be investigated in full by this weekend," he said.

According to him, this was the first case of forced child labour in Perak this year.

"Last year, there were two cases of human trafficking involving children who were forced to become beggars," he said.

On Sunday, Perak police rescued 18 locals believed to be victims of a human trafficking syndicate in Pengkalan Hulu near Gerik.

The victims comprised five men and six women aged between 27 and 64; two boys aged 13 and 17; and five children aged between two and seven. -- Bernama