Malaysia Arrests Hundreds More in Child Abuse Crackdown
Malaysian authorities have arrested hundreds more individuals in connection with a large-scale child abuse and human trafficking case involving the Islamic Global Ikhwan Group (GISB). The arrests come after a initial crackdown in September, which resulted in the rescue of 402 minors and the arrest of 171 suspects.
The latest arrests bring the total number of arrests to 415, with 625 children rescued from care homes linked to GISB. The authorities have alleged that the group was involved in human trafficking, child sexual abuse, and forced labor.
Among the latest arrests are five GISB members who were charged with human trafficking and sexual abuse. Two of the accused were managers of a GISB-owned resort in Johor, where they allegedly trafficked people for forced labor and sexual exploitation. A third suspect, a worker at the same resort, was charged with sexually abusing a 16-year-old.
The authorities have also alleged that hundreds of children, aged between one and 17, were subjected to various forms of abuse at GISB-linked care homes. Some of the children were allegedly sodomized by their guardians and forced to perform sexual acts on other children.
GISB has denied allegations of illegal business activities and organized crime, calling for a "fair investigation" as police investigations continue. However, the group's CEO, Nasiruddin Mohd Ali, has admitted that there were "one or two cases of sodomy" at the care homes.
The Malaysian government has flagged a number of concerns about GISB, including its links to the banned religious sect Al-Arqam. The government has also expressed concerns about the group's business activities, which span across 20 countries and multiple sectors.
The Home Minister, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, has revealed that some children as young as two years old were separated from their families and forced to work under the pretence of "practical training". He also alleged that the children were subjected to physical punishment, including being forced to perform hundreds of squats as punishment for "disciplinary breaches".
The Malaysian authorities have expanded their investigations into GISB internationally, seeking the assistance of Interpol. The case has sparked widespread outrage and concern about the protection of children in Malaysia.
