Malaysian Police conducted a rescue operation at a construction site in Hulu Terengganu, saving three Bangladeshi nationals. The operation, named ‘Operation Pintas,’ was launched by the Royal Malaysia Police on January 28 to combat human trafficking. The rescue took place on February 8, with the police arresting a local man suspected of employing the three Bangladeshi men under exploitative conditions.
The victims, aged between 29 and 44, were found to be working as construction laborers with irregular hours and no pay for five months. They resorted to fishing and foraging for food due to their situation. The employer had also confiscated their passports and work permits, according to Superintendent Sharudin Abdul Wahab of the Hulu Terengganu district police.
The rescued Bangladeshi nationals will undergo medical examinations after the completion of the Interim Protection Order (IPO) application process. The case is being investigated under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act of 2007. The police emphasized the seriousness of human trafficking offenses and urged the public to provide any relevant information to aid in the investigations.
Last year, the Royal Malaysian Police arrested 36 Bangladeshi nationals for their involvement in radical activities linked to the Islamic State (IS) ideology. The security operation, initiated in April 2025, targeted Bangladeshis in Selangor and Johor states in three phases, as per Malaysia’s Ministry of Home Affairs.
