KUCHING: Nineteen Sarawakians, enticed by promises of high-paying jobs and attractive benefits, remain stranded abroad.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Deputy Director (Investigation/Legal) DCP Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa said that from 2021 to February 23 of this year, police received a total of 54 reports in Sarawak, involving 83 victims, comprising 70 men and 13 women, all related to job scams.
“Of these, 64 have been rescued and returned to the state. However, 19 remain stranded in their destination countries.
“In October last year, the Peruvian National Police rescued 43 Malaysians from a Macau scam syndicate in Peru; 40 of those were Sarawakians.
“Therefore, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) is collaborating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and foreign enforcement agencies such as ASEANAPOL and Interpol to locate and rescue the stranded victims,” he said this at a press conference after the closing ceremony of the Sarawak and Sabah Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (ATIPSOM) Enforcement Course today (Mar 1).
Regarding nationwide statistics, Rusdi reported that from 2021 until February 23 of this year, the police received 354 reports related to job scams involving 459 Malaysians.
Out of these, 326 have been successfully rescued and repatriated, while 133 remain stranded overseas.
Police data indicate that job scam victims are often taken to Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos, with other destinations including the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and the Philippines.
“Based on data analysis and investigations, we found that 73 per cent of the victims work as scammers, 12 per cent in customer service, 8 per cent in casinos, and 7 per cent as cooks, among other occupations,” he added.
