Handout photo shows the four Filipinas believed to be human trafficking victims.
LABUAN (April 30): Four Filipinas, believed to be victims of human trafficking, have been rescued by the police here.
Labuan police chief Supt Mohd Hamizi Halim said the victims, aged between 31 and 33, were allegedly forced to work in nightspots and entertainment outlets.
He said three of the women were rescued on April 26, while the fourth managed to escape to Penampang.
“She was subsequently rescued on April 27 by police from the Criminal Investigation Department’s D7 unit (Gambling / Vice / Secret Societies Prevention Division),” he said in a statement.
Hamizi said the Ops Pintas operation on April 26 at a hotel here saw the arrests of two women suspects, a local aged 36 and a Filipina aged 22.
He said both suspects have been remanded for investigation under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) Act 2007.
Hamizi urged the public with any information related to crime or human trafficking to immediately contact the police so appropriate action can be taken.