Malaysian Woman Lured With RM10,500 Job Offer In Singapore Ends Up With Myanmar Syndicate
The victim is now believed to be operating as a love scammer on Facebook, under the condition that she find two more victims to replace herself.
By Sadho Ram — 15 Mar 2024, 02:22 PM
A man from Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, claims that his 35-year-old sister was abducted by human traffickers and taken to Myawaddy, Myanmar
The man, who sought help from Segambut PKR deputy chief Deric Teh and the Malaysia International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) to rescue his elder sister, said that a human trafficking syndicate in Myawaddy on the Myanmar–Thailand border has demanded a ransom for her release.
The woman is reportedly among hundreds of individuals who have fallen victim to Internet frauds orchestrated by Chinese-run criminal enterprises along the Moei River that forms the border between Thailand and Myanmar.
According to the man, the human traffickers have kept his sister confined in a small room with 10 other victims inside a fraud factory and human trafficking hub called KK Garden, otherwise known as KK Park.
Victims from across Southeast Asia are reportedly forced into performing online scams, enduring torture, and facing threats of murder when attempting to flee the compound.
The New Straits Times reported on 13 March that the woman's brother was asked to pay a ransom of RM50,000 for her release. Otherwise, she would be forced to find two other victims as 'replacements'.
A new building is seen under construction at the KKII (Dong Feng) compound of KK Park in Myanmar on 1 July 2023.
Image via Alastair McCready/SCMPWhat happened?
The brother said that his sister had been communicating with a man she befriended on Facebook.
According to the brother, the man later offered his sister a job as a warehouse storekeeper in Singapore, with a promised monthly salary of SGD3,000 (approximately RM10,500).
The woman then quit her job in Seremban in September and on 1 March, she flew to Singapore.
However, from Singapore, the woman took a connecting flight to Bangkok, Thailand.
Allegedly, she was later transported to Myanmar by car.
"I only found out [that she's not in Singapore] after receiving a call from her asking for help on 5 March," the brother said during a press conference on Wednesday, 13 March.
In her final message to her family on 11 March, the woman pleaded to be rescued, saying, "Please save me, take me home"
The brother has since received multiple calls from the alleged human traffickers.
He claimed that a man called him, demanding a ransom of RM50,000 to free his sister.
"He gave me three hours to deposit the money, but I didn't have that much," he said, adding that the next day, the ransom was reduced to RM20,000. However, he has not yet paid any amount.
Since then, the brother has filed a police report and sought assistance from MHO and the Segambut PKR branch
MHO public relations officer Daniel Khoo told FMT that the victim was believed to be operating as a love scammer on Facebook, under the condition that she find two more victims to replace herself.
Khoo said they would seek assistance from the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
"We, together with Segambut PKR deputy chief Deric Teh, will contact the Foreign Minister and reach out to local NGOs in Myanmar to find a safe solution to relocate the victim from the syndicate's area," he added.
