Kota Kinabalu: Police rescued five victims of human trafficking, including a child believed to have been exploited as a labourer, during a series of operations conducted in Sabah.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said the rescue was made during Op Pintas, carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department with the cooperation of the Sabah Police Contingent Headquarters D7 division.
The operations, conducted between Saturday and Sunday, involved raids on plantation areas in Kunak, Kinabatangan and Beluran.
During the same operation, police also detained 16 individuals, including plantation supervisors, undocumented foreign workers and persons believed to be involved in managing workers at the plantations.
Preliminary investigations found some workers did not possess valid travel documents, while elements of labour exploitation were also detected, including employers holding workers’ passports, low wages and poor living conditions.