M.Krishnamoorthy
A media coach, adjunct professor and author
A Malaysian and his wife have lost all hope in Cambodia. His father and friends approached several media in Malaysia to publicise his imprisonment. Since early February this year, they have been in detention and no media wanted to publish his story, say his friends.
The detained victim’s father and friends appealed and are asking the Malaysian government representatives to speed up their return to Malaysia.
The victims, Benjamin Yeo and his wife Moira Magnificat Esparrago (Filipina), are now undergoing a harrowing ordeal in Cambodia. The ordeal in detention caused the miscarriage of their first child
Benjamin, 40, and his wife were victims of a scary cyber scam in Cambodia and ended up for three months in dire conditions in a detention centre (prison), and lived in fear of being sold by Human Traffickers. Benjamin said not much help was extended by the Malaysian Embassy for their early release.
He wrote appealing for help on Google documents accessible to the public.
He pleaded: “We are reaching out to you in dire need of assistance for a matter of utmost urgency. I want to tell you the whole story in parts: Kidnapping, After Rescue, Transfer to Svay Rieng police station, and Transfer to Phnom Penh.”
Here is the story of Benjamin, who studied Foundation in law at Taylors College, Petaling Jaya, about 20 years ago.
Benjamin speaks:
Upon our arrival in Phnom Penh on February 8th, 2024, we were deceived by Asia HR International Co. Ltd., who promised us legitimate employment in a casino in Bavet. However, upon arrival, instead of being placed in gainful employment, we were forcibly held captive in a scam camp operated by Chuan Jin, and a camp operated by Prince Group and security contracted to BaoAn, companies managed by Chinese nationals from Xinjiang.
During our captivity, I was coerced into learning an Indian money transfer scheme, while my wife was compelled to teach English to Indian nationals, They said once we helped them to achieve their first million United States dollars, they would allow us to return home. However, the roles and rules were constantly changing, and towards the end of our ordeal, we were forced to work 12-16 hours per day.
On March 10th, Moira (wife) mustered the courage to stand up against these exploitative conditions. She returned the company iPad, took our mobile phones, and went to speak to the boss about our resignation. However, one of the managers, Mr. Ibrahim -- a Muslim Chinese national from Xinjiang - stormed into the room, took Moira's phone, and smashed it on the floor. When Moira questioned his actions, he slapped her twice. I rushed and told him to stop, but he became more aggressive towards me. (In the commotion, I managed to secretly pass one of my phones to a colleague, which is why you can hear from me today.)
On March 11th, the boss spoke to Moira, my wife, and said he wanted to "teach me a lesson." They became suspicious when they found messages between my wife and me about plans to leave, and they isolated me from the others. Later that day, they brought my wife to the office lobby and demanded a US$10,000 "penalty" for us to leave the company.
The next day, March 12th, we were heavily monitored in the office lobby, only allowed to call our loved ones on speakerphone to ask for the US$10,000 "penalty." A friend in the UK eventually agreed to help us secure an NGO fund to assist us, but the captors kept changing the demands, threatening additional fees and an even higher penalty.
On March 13th, I stayed in my wife's room to avoid friction with the captors. Around 10:30 am, Mr. Ibrahim angrily called me down to the office lobby, cursing and accusing me. When I responded calmly, he launched a left hook at my face, which I blocked with my right palm. I countered with a left elbow strike, stopping just short of his jawbone.
Mr. Ibrahim then started poking my face with his finger, trying to knock off my glasses and threatened to hit me with a glass ashtray. Moira intervened, but she was escorted away and isolated in her room. I was then ordered to remain in the exercise area of the office lobby and not allowed to see my wife.
Later that afternoon, the captors accused me of having a hidden SIM card and warned another victim about the scam. Mr. Jason Bong grabbed a 10kg weight and threw it at me, accusing me of destroying their business. I quickly lay down and pushed the weight back towards his face, but did not hit him. This angered him further, and he leaned over me, spitting curses and saliva in my face.
The policeman handcuffed one of my hands to a metal railing. (Only half a foot from the ground, and I wasn’t able to stand up), effectively imprisoning me. During the eight days I was only fed 5 times and only given water to drink.
Desperate for help, my father eventually alerted the embassy, leading to our rescue by authorities on March 21st.
Even after our rescue, the threat persists as the company exerts influence, attempting to manipulate legal proceedings and obstruct justice. We have been targeted for false charges, and there are concerns that bribery may compromise the integrity of the legal process. The article written by Al-Jazeera is true, and it is exactly the situation that we're currently facing.
After we were rescued, we were held in protective custody at Bavet Police Station, on the border, near Ho Chi Minh City. The night came, and I could hardly sleep because we were asked to sleep in the open air in the station compound and saw the company car come up twice at 1 am and 3 am. Someone came down looking for the police officer sleeping in the police station.
Early in the morning, they told me that my statement was completed and that it was summarised and complete (I couldn’t read a single word that was written because it's in Khmer) I wasn’t allowed to translate and was forced to sign it. Later in the morning, the company PR person who only identified himself as Mr. Sugar.
We agreed to a financial deal. Mr. Sugar said he would return to the office and collect cash to pass to us. He was late, and when he returned to the station, there was no deal. He went to speak only to the police officers. So, we approached them and asked about his promises.
Benjamin and his wife pray regularly and hope to be released soon to Malaysia. An NGO is playing a key role in his return to Malaysia. Benjamin hopes the Malaysian government reading this news will help to return to Malaysia soon.
Caritas Cambodia Kandal is a youth NGO helping him to be released, and the couple are currently staying on the NGO’s premises.
Freelance Writer M. Krishnamoorthy (www.imkrishna.net) is a media coach, adjunct professor and undercover journalist. He has freelanced with Bernama, NST, The Star, and Malaysiakini. He also freelances as a fixer/coordinator for CNN, BBC, German and Australian Television networks and the New York Times. As an undercover journalist, he has highlighted society's concerns.
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