KUALA LUMPUR: Two Malaysian teenagers, who were lured by high-paying jobs in Myanmar, are now facing immigration charges in Thailand.
MCA public services and complaints department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong said that the boys, aged 14 and 15, were initially lured with job offers in Johor.
"But instead, a human trafficking syndicate took them to Myanmar and later across the border to Thailand, illegally. They were released by the syndicate after a RM10,000 ransom was paid for their release by their families.
"They are now in the custody of Thai police, and are due to be charged in a Thai court on May 10 because they had entered the country illegally, without travel documents.
"Fortunately, the Mae Sot district police chief Col Monsak Kaewon has taken pity on them and has stood surety for them until the court hearing," Chong said at a press conference at Wisma MCA.
Present were the parents of the teenagers, who would attend the proceedings in the western Thai town near Myanmar's border.
The parents thanked the Thai authorities and pleaded for their sons' safe return.
They also urged the Malaysian embassy in Bangkok to intervene on humanitarian grounds.
"We have also been informed of four other similar cases of human trafficking in Myanmar, with some demanding ransom for their release.
"I caution the public to be mindful of fraudulent job offers and online advertisements by dubious recruitment agencies promising lucrative employment opportunities, that pay as much as RM8,000 a month.
"These human trafficking syndicates mainly target children from small towns," said Chong, urging affected families to lodge police reports.
Last Sunday, Chong revealed how a Malaysian teenager was released by his captors following a huge media coverage.
Through the assistance of a Malaysian businessman in Thailand, the boy was saved along with another teenager, after the RM10,000 ransom payment.
The 15-year-old boy's mother said her son was taken away by a few local men on March 23 under the pretext of giving him a job in Johor.
However, she said her son was taken to Myanmar instead, through illegal routes to work for a criminal syndicate.