Category: NEWS

MEXICO CITY — A shootout near the capital of Mexico’s Sinaloa state killed 19 suspected gang members, while one local cartel leader was arrested, Mexico’s defense ministry said on Tuesday, as intra-cartel violence intensifies.

The deadly altercation on Monday took place about 11km outside the Sinaloa capital of Culiacan, when a group of more than 30 gunmen fired on soldiers, according to a statement from the ministry. It added that some of the suspected cartel gunmen fled the scene after federal agents returned fire.

The detainee was identified as Edwin Antonio “N” — his last name withheld as is typical for those accused of crimes in Mexico — and described as a local leader of the Sinaloa Cartel faction led by its legendary co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.

A document dated Oct. 22 from Mexico’s national registry of detained persons obtained by Reuters listed an Edwin Antonio Rubio Lopez apprehended by military personnel in Sinaloa.
Seven vehicles and nearly 30 firearms, including machine guns, ammunition and military-style vests and helmets were also seized.

Violence has flared in the western Pacific coast state ever since the late July arrest of Zambada, after he was flown to an airstrip in the United States near the city of El Paso, Texas, and promptly taken into custody by US officials.

The veteran cartel leader is believed to be in his 70s. He has alleged that a senior member of the Los Chapitos, another faction of the Sinaloa cartel, kidnapped him and then flew him to the United States against his will.

The gangland violence plaguing Sinaloa is seen by security analysts as likely pitting the two factions against each other, and has intensified since early September with around 200 dead and more than 300 others believed to be missing, according to official data.

AN-REUTERS

SHIJIAZHUANG — Six mine workers were trapped after a coal mine collapsed early Wednesday in north China’s Hebei Province, the mining company said.

The cave-in happened at 4:37 a.m. in the Qianjiaying mining subsidiary of Kailuan (Group) Limited Liability Corporation, a major state-owned coal mining company in Hebei, the group said in a statement on its official WeChat account.

The Qianjiaying subsidiary is located in Fengnan District in the city of Tangshan.

Rescuers are racing against the time to reach the trapped miners.

XINHUA

KUALA LUMPUR — Tindakan pantas seorang wanita menarik anak saudaranya menyelamatkan budak itu daripada diculik seorang lelaki tidak dikenali di Kampung Bunga Raya, Rawang semalam.

Menceritakan semula detik kejadian itu, S Kalaiarasi, 30, berkata dia terkejut apabila tiba-tiba seorang lelaki warga asing tidak dikenali masuk ke rumah dan terus memeluk anak saudara sebelum cuba membawanya lari.

Kejadian jam 12.40 tengah hari semasa dia bersama anak perempuannya berusia setahun dan anak saudaranya sedang bermain di ruang tamu rumah.

“Tiba-tiba seorang lelaki terus masuk ke dalam rumah dan memeluk anak saudara sebelum cuba melarikan diri.

“Saya kemudian menjerit dan berjaya merampas kembali anak saudara sebelum lelaki itu terus melarikan diri,” katanya kepada BH, hari ini.

Beliau berkata jeritannya itu didengari jiran sebelum penduduk kampung yang menyedari kejadian itu mengejar lelaki itu dan menahannya.

Difahamkan sebelum kejadian itu, suspek dikatakan terlebih dahulu ke rumah jiran mangsa yang berdekatan dan mengaku sebagai tukang cuci dan ingin mengemas rumah sekitar jam 12.30 tengah hari.

BH sebelum ini melaporkan seorang lelaki warga Nepal dipercayai menyamar sebagai tukang cuci dan cuba menculik kanak-kanak lelaki berusia dua tahun namun cubaannya gagal apabila tindakannya disedari penduduk.

Ketua Polis Daerah Sungai Buloh, Superintendan Mohd Hafiz Muhammad Nor dilaporkan berkata polis menerima laporan seorang wanita berusia 47 tahun, semalam.

Pengadu memaklumkan semasa kejadian dia terdengar seorang jirannya menjerit meminta tolong memberitahu ada lelaki cuba menculik anaknya.

Pengadu telah pergi ke rumah jirannya dan telah nampak seorang lelaki telah melarikan diri sebelum dia bersama penduduk mengejar lelaki terbabit.

Suspek dapat ditangkap berdekatan dengan kawasan pembuangan sampah, kira-kira 500 meter dari lokasi kejadian sebelum diserahkan kepada polis untuk tindakan lanjut.

Mohd Hafiz berkata pihak polis membuka satu kertas siasatan Seksyen 363 Kanun Keseksaan.

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BUTTERWORTH — Seorang pekerja katering dihadapkan ke Mahkamah Sesyen hari ini atas enam pertuduhan meliwat dan melakukan amang seksual fizikal terhadap empat remaja lelaki antara Mac 2023 dan Mei tahun ini.

Tertuduh Muhammad Haikal Hazwan Che Man, 24, yang masih bujang mengaku tidak bersalah dan mohon semua kesnya dibicarakan ketika pertuduhan dibacakan di hadapan Hakim Zulhazmi Abdullah.

Kesalahan liwat didakwa dilakukan dalam sebuah bilik di Apartmen Permata di Bandar Perda, Bukit Mertajam, jam 3 petang pada Mac tahun lalu.

Bagi pertuduhan kedua hingga keenam pula, tertuduh didakwa melakukan amang seksual di bilik apartmen sama antara Mac 2023 dan Mei tahun ini.

Pendakwaan bagi semua kesalahan itu dikemukakan mengikut Seksyen 14(b) dan Seksyen 14(d) Akta Kesalahan-Kesalahan Seksual Terhadap Kanak-Kanak 2017.

Jika sabit kesalahan, tertuduh bakal berdepan hukuman penjara maksimum 20 tahun dan boleh dikenakan sebatan.

Kes dikendalikan Timbalan Pendakwa Raya Wan Amira Ruzaini Wan Abdul Razak manakala tertuduh tidak diwakili peguam.

Semasa prosiding, Wan Amira tidak menawarkan jaminan berikutan kesalahan serius yang dilakukan apatah lagi semua mangsa bawah umur.

Bagaimanapun, tertuduh dalam rayuan yang diwakili peguam Yayasan Bantuan Guaman Kebangsaan (YBGK) meminta supaya mahkamah dapat memberikan jaminan paling minimum kerana tertuduh yang bekerja sebagai pekerja katering hanya berpendapatan RM1,200 selain perlu menanggung keluarga.

Hakim Zulhazmi kemudian membenarkan tertuduh diikat jamin RM20,000 dengan seorang penjamin serta meminta tertuduh supaya tidak mendekati serta mengganggu mangsa dan pengadu sehingga kes selesai.

Kes akan disebut semula pada 25 November depan untuk laporan perubatan dan laporan kimia.

Sementara itu, di Mahkamah Bukit Mertajam tertuduh juga didakwa atas pertuduhan mengikut Seksyen 292 (a) Kanun Keseksaan kerana menyimpan beberapa keping gambar lucah dalam telefon bimbit jenis iPhone 11 Pro miliknya.

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KEPALA BATAS — Seorang pekerja lelaki warga asing maut selepas terjatuh dari bumbung bangunan setinggi 18 meter (m) di sebuah tapak pembinaan di sini, kelmarin.

Dalam kejadian jam 9.40 pagi itu, mangsa dikatakan sedang melakukan kerja-kerja membuka acuan (formwork) pada struktur bumbung lubang aliran udara di bangunan berkenaan.

Bagaimanapun, mangsa dilaporkan terjatuh dan meninggal dunia di lokasi kejadian akibat kecederaan parah.

Pejabat Pengarah Jabatan Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan (JKKP) Pulau Pinang dalam kenyataan hari ini berkata, sepasukan pegawai penyiasat JKKP ke lokasi kejadian bagi menjalankan siasatan sebaik menerima maklumat kes.

“Siasatan awal mendapati mangsa dilantik sebagai pekerja am dari sebuah syarikat subkontraktor untuk menjalankan kerja-kerja membuka ‘formwork’ pada struktur bumbung lubang aliran udara pada bangunan dikenali sebagai ‘dog house’ untuk pekerja.

“Mangsa ditemukan di aras bawah dan disahkan meninggal dunia di tempat kejadian,” katanya.

Kenyataan itu menyebut, notis pemberhentian serta-merta ke atas kerja-kerja membabitkan struktur aliran udara pada bangunan di kawasan kejadian dikeluarkan sehingga siasatan selesai dijalankan.

“JKKP mengarahkan majikan menjalankan siasatan dalaman bagi mengenal pasti punca kejadian dan langkah penambahbaikan.

“Mereka juga perlu membuat pembentangan kes kepada jabatan.

“Siasatan susulan akan dijalankan dengan mendapatkan dokumen dan keterangan berkaitan.

“Majikan bertanggungjawab memastikan keselamatan dan kesihatan di tempat kerja mengikut Seksyen 15(1) Akta Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan 1994,” katanya.

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KUALA LUMPUR — Wanita yang dikehendaki polis, Siti Hajartul Haini Abd Hamid, berhubung penipuan jualan emas membabitkan kerugian jutaan ringgit ditahan pihak berkuasa semalam.

Pengarah Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Komersial (JSJK) Bukit Aman, Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf, berkata wanita berusia 37 tahun itu ditahan di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Bayan Lepas sebaik tiba dari Dubai.

“Suspek direman di Mahkamah Alor Setar hari ini bagi membantu siasatan,” katanya.

Media sebelum ini polis sedang mengesan seorang wanita yang disyaki mendalangi kegiatan penipuan penjualan emas dengan memperdaya orang ramai membeli emas dengan harga murah membabitkan kerugian lebih RM7 juta.

Ramli yang dipetik berkata sejak September lalu, pihaknya sudah menerima 18 laporan polis berkait wanita itu membabitkan nilai keseluruhan kerugian sebanyak RM7.03 juta.

Melalui siasatan dijalankan, suspek dikatakan menjual barang kemas pada harga lebih rendah daripada pasaran semasa iaitu sekitar RM150 hingga RM200 bagi satu gram emas.

Pembeli yang berminat bagaimanapun perlu menunggu selama beberapa minggu sebelum barang kemas tersebut diperoleh.

Pada awalnya, pembeli menerima barang kemas yang dijanjikan dan ia mengakibatkan mereka yakin dengan tawaran yang dibuat, bagaimanapun bermula Julai lalu pembeli tidak menerima barang kemas yang ditempah dan suspek juga telah gagal dihubungi.

Kes disiasat mengikut Seksyen 420 Kanun Keseksaan.

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LA PAZ — At least four people were killed and several others injured Tuesday when a public transport vehicle overturned on a highway linking the western Bolivian city of El Alto with the border town of Desaguadero near Peru, according to the police.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the accident was caused by speeding and a front tire blowout, said Adrian Alvarez, El Alto regional commander.

The Bolivian government has frequently warned about the dangers of road accidents, where enforcement of regulations and safety measures are often overlooked.

XINHUA

OSLO — The Norwegian government has updated its advice to the country’s companies, urging them not to engage in trade and business cooperation that serves to perpetuate Israel’s illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territory.

“Such trade and business cooperation may be associated with serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said in a press release on Tuesday.

The trade and business cooperation “could in certain cases be considered activity that enables violations of these rights to continue,” the foreign minister added.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), in its advisory opinion issued on July 19, concluded that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is a violation of international law.

“The UN’s principal judicial body has determined that Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is in violation of international law and must cease as soon as possible,” Eide said, adding, “If we are to succeed in ending the occupation, all those who provide revenue to this activity must take responsibility.”

XINHUA

RAMALLAH — The Palestinian government condemned on Tuesday an Israeli court decision to freeze new funds from the Palestinian Authority.

Mohammed Abu al-Rub, director of the Palestinian Government Communication Center, said to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA that freezing additional Palestinian funds is a new attempt to further target Palestinian state institutions and compel them to stop fulfilling their commitments to the Palestinian people.

Abu al-Rub emphasized that the official Palestinian position is clear in rejecting the Israeli “extortion,” adding that Israel is enforcing a severe financial blockade by cutting over half of the monthly clearance revenues, which is the main source of the Palestinian public finances.

According to Israel’s state-owned Kan TV news, the Central Court in Jerusalem ordered the freezing of 410 million Israeli shekels (109 million U.S. dollars) from the Palestinian Authority’s funds earlier in the day.

XINHUA

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military confirmed on Tuesday that Hashem Safieddine, the head of Hezbollah’s Executive Council, was killed in an airstrike on Beirut three weeks ago.

Safieddine was killed in a bombing carried out by Israeli warplanes on Beirut’s southern suburb, the military said in a statement. The attack targeted a building where, according to Israel, Hezbollah’s main underground intelligence headquarters were located.

The military said that about 25 senior Hezbollah commanders were present in the building during the attack but did not clarify whether they survived.

Safieddine was a cousin of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. After Israel assassinated Nasrallah in September, Safieddine was widely presumed to be the successor.

Safieddine was also a member of the Shura Council, Hezbollah’s highest military-political body, responsible for decision-making and setting the group’s policies.

“We have reached Nasrallah, his successor, and most of Hezbollah’s leadership,” Herzi Halevi, chief of the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces, said following the announcement of Safieddine’s killing. “We will know how to reach anyone who threatens the security of Israel’s citizens.”

Hezbollah has not commented on the announcement by the Israeli military.

XINHUA

LOS ANGELES — An E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers has led to 49 illnesses, including one death, in the United States, the country’s national public health agency said on Tuesday.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a news release that 49 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported from 10 states to date, with most illnesses in Colorado and Nebraska.

Of 28 people with information available, 10 have been hospitalized, and 1 person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure, said the agency. One death has been reported from an older adult in Colorado.

According to CDC’s fast-moving outbreak investigation, most sick people are reporting eating Quarter Pounder hamburgers from McDonald’s and investigators are working quickly to confirm which food ingredient is contaminated.

“The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for E. coli,” noted the agency, adding that “recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.”

McDonald’s said in its statement that “The initial findings from the investigation indicate that a subset of illnesses may be linked to slivered onions used in the Quarter Pounder and sourced by a single supplier that serves three distribution centers.”

“As a result, and in line with our safety protocols, all local restaurants have been instructed to remove this product from their supply and we have paused the distribution of all slivered onions in the impacted area,” said the fast-food giant, adding that it is also temporarily removing the Quarter Pounder from restaurants in the impacted area, including Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.

McDonald’s shares dropped more than 9 percent in after-hours trading Tuesday after CDC’s announcement of the E. coli outbreak.

XINHUA

TUNIS — Six people were killed and three others wounded in a collision between a truck and an interprovincial transportation taxi in central Tunisia’s Kairouan province, private radio station Mosaique FM reported Tuesday.

“A fatal accident occurred today on the main road linking the town of Chebika and Kairouan where a truck collided with an interprovincial transportation taxi,” Colonel Hamdi Loussif, regional director of civil protection in Kairouan, told the radio.

According to Loussif, the road where the accident happened is considered one of the most dangerous roads in the region due to the large number of potholes, which have led to many fatal traffic accidents.

Tunisia has one of the highest rates of traffic accidents. According to a report by the Tunisian National Traffic Observatory, 4,165 traffic accidents were recorded from Jan. 1 to Oct. 13 this year, resulting in 888 deaths and 5,794 injuries.

XINHUA

NEW DELHI — One person was killed and five others reported trapped under the debris after an under-construction building collapsed Tuesday in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru, police said.

The building collapsed in Babusapalya area of the city.

“Approximately five people are still missing and one dead so far,” a senior police official at the spot told media. “We have rescued approximately 14 and the operation to rescue the trapped ones is still underway.”

Immediately after the building collapsed, police and fire department teams rushed to the spot to carry out rescue operations.

The victims were identified as workers who were doing some construction work inside the building at the time of its collapse.

The city has been witnessing heavy rainfall over the past several days. The incessant rains caused waterlogging in several parts of the city.

Deadly accidents due to failing infrastructure are common in India. Construction experts blame the lax administration and corruption in India for flouting building rules, which often result in using poor quality materials, inadequate supervision and poor safety standards for workers.

XINHUA

HONG KONG — An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 jolted south of the Fiji Islands at 1545 GMT on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 459.1 km, was initially determined to be at 23.93 degrees south latitude and 179.58 degrees west longitude.

XINHUA

DUBLIN, Oct 22 — Ireland’s government is seeking to introduce a bill restricting trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories after it said a UN court decision freed Dublin to make trade decisions independently of the European Union.

The Occupied Territories Bill was first tabled in 2018 by an independent lawmaker and despite receiving broad support in Ireland’s parliament, the government said it could not bring it forward because the European Union, not member nations, is responsible for the bloc’s trade policy.

However, Foreign Minister Michael Martin said on Tuesday that an advisory opinion by the United Nations’ highest court in July that Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories is illegal had changed the context of how the government might move forward on the issue.

“Trade is an exclusive EU competence and so the government’s focus has been on achieving action at the EU level,” Martin said in a statement.

“The Attorney General has clarified that if this is not possible, there are grounds in EU law allowing states to take action at a national level. It is in that context that the government will now look again at the Occupied Territories Bill.”

He said the bill will be reviewed and amendments prepared in order to bring it into line with EU law and Ireland’s constitution, adding that a range of complex policy and legal issues remained to be resolved.

Ireland is due to hold an election within weeks. The coalition Martin is a member of is favoured to win, although all major opposition parties have long favoured introducing a ban on trade with the occupied Palestinian territories.

In May, Ireland officially recognised a Palestinian state and said it would establish diplomatic relations, angering Israel.

REUTERS

BEIRUT — At least 18 people were killed, including four children, and 60 were wounded in an Israeli strike on Monday near Beirut’s main government hospital, the health ministry said on Tuesday.

Israeli jets hit a Hezbollah target close to the Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut but did not target the hospital and it was not affected by the strike, the Israeli military said on Tuesday.

However, the director of the hospital said that due to the Israeli attack, nearby debris, probably from heavy ammunition, had caused damage to the medical facility.

While there were no casualties among the staff, efforts to rescue people in front of the hospital were ongoing, the director, Jihad Saadeh, added.

REUTERS

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM — Hezbollah on Tuesday said it takes full responsibility for the recent drone attack on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s house in the northern Israeli town of Caesarea.

“The Islamic Resistance claims responsibility for targeting Netanyahu’s home,” Mohammad Afif, head of Hezbollah’s media office, said at a press conference in Dahieh, Beirut’s southern suburbs.

“If our hands did not reach you the previous time, then days, nights, and the battlefield remain between us,” Afif said, adding there will be no negotiations while fighting continues with Israel.

Afif affirmed that the resistance capacity is still strong, pledging continuous bombing of northern Israel.

He also accused the United States of being Israel’s partner in “aggression” against Lebanon by supplying Israeli forces with weapons.

For its part, Israel officially acknowledged on Tuesday that an explosive drone sent by Hezbollah struck and damaged Netanyahu’s home in Caesarea.

According to information cleared for publication by the Israeli military censor, the drone struck a bedroom wall of Netanyahu’s residence in the coastal town, located between Haifa and Tel Aviv.

In addition, a photo, also cleared for publication, shows fire damage with burn marks on the exterior wall, damage to a window, and two scorched palm trees.

The military reported that the drone was launched from Lebanon, along with two others, all targeting the prime minister’s residence. Three combat helicopters attempted to intercept the drones but failed. Two of them were eventually intercepted by the Iron Dome system, while the third hit the bedroom wall.

Netanyahu and his wife were not present during the incident, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

At Tuesday’s press briefing, Afif also denounced as “unjustified” Israel’s bombing of Al Qard Al Hassan, which Israel identified as a financial institution affiliated with Hezbollah. Afif denied the Israeli assertions, saying it is “a purely civil institution licensed by law. Its services reach all Lebanese, with its branches established across Lebanon.”

By bombing the institution, Israel aims to “affect the mutual trust between Hezbollah and its community,” Afif said.

“Al Qard Al Hassan has taken all its precautions, and will do everything necessary to fulfill its obligations to depositors and beneficiaries,” he added.

Israeli warplanes on Sunday evening bombed branches of Al Qard Al Hassan, with the Israeli military issuing a warning in advance on social media platform X to civilians, calling for staying “at least 500 meters” away from the institution’s locations.

XINHUA

KYIV, Oct 22 — Three people including a child were killed in a Russian drone strike on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, officials said on Tuesday.

The attack, part of a mass overnight strike on Ukraine, targeted a residential neighbourhood and critical infrastructure, regional administration head of staff Ihor Kalchenko said on the Telegram messaging app.

He posted images of smouldering ruins and damaged homes.

In a statement, the Ukrainian military said air defences had destroyed 42 out of 60 drones launched by Russia over various parts of Ukraine. Another 10 were “locationally lost”, it said.

One woman was wounded early on Tuesday when a Russian drone struck a bus stop in the southern city of Kherson, regional officials said.

Russia has denied targeting civilians in its full-scale invasion, launched in February 2022, but regularly launches missiles and drones at population centres behind the front line.

REUTERS

KUALA LUMPUR — Seorang wanita hampir ‘dijual’ ke Myanmar selepas terpedaya tawaran lumayan sebagai pengasuh oleh pasangan yang mengaku bekerja sebagai konsulat asing di Bangkok, Thailand.

Huda, 41, berkata pasangan terbabit menawarkan upah RM2,000 untuk bekerja kononnya sebagai pengasuh bergerak atau ‘travel nanny’ pasangan itu selama empat hari semasa percutian mereka di negara berkenaan.

Menurutnya, dia mula berasa musykil apabila aplikasi Google Map menunjukkan dia dibawa menaiki kereta selama enam jam daripada Lapangan Terbang Bangkok menuju ke Mae Sot, Tak di Thailand berhampiran sempadan dengan ‘hotspot’ aktiviti sindiket di Myawaddy, Myanmar.

“Bila sampai kat pekan Tak itu ada polis sempadan tahan kereta dan minta pasport dan saya nekad minta tolong lalu bertanya jika ada anggota polis yang boleh berbahasa Inggeris.

“Saya beritahu polis itu yang saya ditipu dan ketika itu pemandu kereta paksa saya berikan pasport kepada polis tetapi saya enggan dan bila sudah kelam kabut itu, polis berkenaan tahan kereta kami ke tepi.

“Polis itu menyoal pemandu berkenaan tetapi pemandu itu tidak mengaku, dia kata dia tidak tahu menahu dan tidak pandai berbahasa Inggeris malah pemandu itu juga mengambil wang tunai yang saya bawa berjumlah RM2,000,” katanya pada sidang media, di sini hari ini.

Huda berkata, dia menggeletar selepas menyedari dirinya hanya selangkah lagi menjadi tebusan sindiket di Myanmar dan bersyukur diselamatkan polis terbabit

Menurutnya, sepanjang lima tahun berkecimpung dalam bidang berkenaan itu kali pertama dirinya menempuh detik cemas seperti itu.

Katanya, sebelum ini dia bekerja sebagai pengasuh bergerak di beberapa negara lain dengan mengenakan bayaran RM240 sehari dan mengakui tawaran upah lebih dua kali ganda ditawarkan pasangan itu sedikit mengaburi matanya.

“Selalunya saya caj RM240 sehari tetapi pasangan ini tawarkan kepada saya RM2,000 secara ‘lump sum’ untuk kerja selama empat hari malah kesemua perbelanjaan termasuk tiket penerbangan semuanya ditanggung.

“Saya ada iklan perkhidmatan saya di media sosial dan pasangan itu hubungi saya menerusi WhatsApp lalu mereka menemubual saya menggunakan aplikasi Zoom.

“Pasangan berkenaan bercakap dalam bahasa Indonesia, dan mereka menjawab soalan yang saya tanya dengan jawapan yang masuk akal,” katanya.

Menurutnya, dia bertolak ke Bangkok pada 13 Oktober dan dimaklumkan oleh pasangan berkenaan ada seseorang akan menyambutnya di lapangan terbang sebelum dibawa berjumpa pasangan itu.

Katanya, sejurus mendarat seorang lelaki berpakaian seragam dipercayai salah satu agensi pihak berkuasa Thailand menyambut ketibaannya dan membawanya ke sebuah syarikat pelancongan.

“Saya syak lelaki berkenaan pegawai kastam berdasarkan uniform, tag dipakainya dan kehadirannya menyambut saya di kawasan sebelum kaunter pemeriksaan imigresen.

“Disebabkan itu, saya memilih untuk pulang ke Malaysia menggunakan tren kerana khuatir identitinya dikenali jika pulang menggunakan kapal terbang,” katanya.

Sementara itu, Setiausaha Agung Pertubuhan Kemanusiaan Masyarakat Antarabangsa Malaysia (MHO), Datuk Hishamuddin Hashim berkata sindiket perdagangan manusia itu kini menggunakan pelbagai helah.

Katanya, orang ramai diminta berhati-hati dengan sebarang tawaran pekerjaan terutama membabitkan negara jiran seperti Thailand dan Myanmar.

BH ONLINE