KUALA LUMPUR: The Johor Immigration Department rescued two Filipino children during an operation at a manufacturing factory in Senai, conducted as part of Op Mahir, on Thursday.
Johor Immigration Department Director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said the victims, a 12-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl, were discovered during the enforcement operation at 6.54pm.
"The operation was launched following reports of a factory allegedly employing undocumented foreign workers and misusing work passes or permits," he said in a press statement today.
He said checks on the travel and identification documents of 292 local and foreign workers at the premises led to the discovery of the two underage children.
"Preliminary investigations revealed that the children had been employed at the factory for the past three months," he added.
Both victims were rescued and taken to the Immigration Department's Office enforcement division at the Home Ministry in Setia Tropika for further action.
A 44-year-old human resources officer from the factory was detained on suspicion of violating the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (Act 670).