IPOH: A 22-year-old man with a learning disability is being held in Cambodia after being taken there by agents who even lodged a false police report to enable him to get a new passport.
The agents are now threatening to transfer him to other places or, worse, have his organ sold in the black market unless he can pay about RM46,000.
The disabled man is among three Malaysians believed to have been duped by false advertisements over social media into working as scammers in Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar.
According to a relative, who wished to be known as Ah Lee, 48, he last contacted his 22-year-old nephew Ah Chong in March.
“He told me that he was in Kulim, Kedah, to meet his girlfriend. Since he didn’t return home the week after, I tried to contact him but there was no response.
“Five weeks later, I received a text message from him telling me that he has been sent to work in Myanmar,” he told a press conference held by Perak MCA Public Service and Complaints Bureau chief Low Gua Nan here yesterday.
Ah Lee claimed that a man, who acted as an agent, had brought his nephew to Kuala Lumpur and lodged a missing passport report at Dang Wangi before getting a new one made.
“My nephew has been scammed multiple times before, so I have been holding his passport. The agent hit him when he refused to give his bank card. Ah Chong told me that he was taken to the KL International Airport to be flown to Bangkok, and then took a car ride to Cambodia,” he said.
Ah Lee said during their phone calls, his nephew told him he was warned by his boss that if he fails to work, he would be transferred or have his organs removed.
“Every day, he would be given a list of people to call but he couldn’t explain to me the details due to his disability. His boss told him that if he wants to return home, he must pay RMB70,000 (RM45,955), which I can’t afford,” he said.
Another Malaysian, who wished to be known as Ah Meng, said in a video call during the press conference that he had been trapped in Cambodia since December.
The 32-year-old said that during a visit to Johor Baru last year, a Chinese national offered him work at a casino in Cambodia.
“I I thought that it would be easy money for me so I followed him. At that time, I was just working as a restaurant helper.
“From Kelantan, we went by road before taking a boat across the river to Thailand. After a week, I was given the job of befriending people on social media and given 10 phones to create various accounts using fake profiles.
“Since I started working, I have been assigned to six different bosses and received a few hundred US dollars a month as salary,” he said, adding that he was initially offered US$1,130 (RM5,000) a month.
Ah Meng said he was told that he would have to pay US$13,500 (RM59,000) if he wants to leave.
Another woman, known as Madam Lee, 60, said her daughter received a Facebook message in February from one Ivan Low that her son, Ah Kit, 32, whom she last saw in December, was in Bangkok.
“My son told us that if he wants to leave earlier, he must pay at least RM50,000 to his company by the end of March or he would be sold to another company and have to pay RM100,000 instead,” she said, adding that he had not received any salary.
Gua Nan said the three men had sent their latest known location to their families.
“We have given all information to the police,” he said, adding that he hoped that they would be rescued as soon as possible.
“We also hope that the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission will take action against all these false vacancy ads on various social media platforms,” he added.