TON PHEUNG (LAOS): A 23-year-old man, deceived by a human trafficking syndicate, was forced to eat pork at the cafeteria after failing to meet the syndicate's impossible targets and being denied his salary.
This was the torment Salman endured for months after being tricked into working as a scammer in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ).
He was among five Malaysians recently rescued by the Malaysian International Humanitarian Organisation from the syndicate, which is believed to be operated by Chinese nationals.
Speaking from a safe house near the GTSEZ, Salman detailed the nightmare that began six months ago when he accepted a job offer in Thailand. Upon landing in Chiang Rai, he was intercepted by syndicate members who transported him by car and boat into GTSEZ.
"The company set monthly sales targets of up to RM100,000 per individual as part of a team goal worth millions. When I couldn't meet the target, they fined me for everything," Salman said.
He said fines ranged from RM500 for being late to deductions for other arbitrary reasons, leaving him without a salary.
"There was one month where my earnings were zero after fines, and I ended up owing the company. If I managed to scam RM100,000, I was supposed to earn around RM8,000, including commission. But the supervisors always found ways to deduct my pay."
The operation was run by Malaysian supervisors who acted as enforcers for the syndicate. Salman named individuals such as Sir Lim, Sir Ace, Sir Majang, Sir Simon, and Sir Tyson, who maintained order through threats and violence.
"They would beat anyone who broke the rules. I saw it happen more than once," he said.
Salman added that the supervisors were likely from Sarawak and peninsular Malaysia based on their accents. He worked on the eighth floor of an office tower entirely occupied by scam syndicates, which he said were operated by Chinese nationals. He said they could move freely within the GTSEZ area but must wear a unique tag to identify as syndicate workers.
"Inside the GTSEZ, there's everything: alcohol, prostitutes, entertainment centres - especially for the Chinese syndicate bosses. That's why, if you look closely, all the shops here use Chinese, not Laos. There is a halal restaurant run by an Indian Muslim in Chinatown near the dormitory, but once the salary is gone after paying fines, how can you even afford food?" he said.
When asked about his daily routine, Salman said they were forced to make "sales" and had to work up to 18 hours daily.
"I was instructed to carry out 'Love Scams'. We were given scripts and taught how to lure victims from Malaysia via social media. Once the victims were sufficiently 'hooked', we would get them to join a fake investment, taking their money by directing them to a fraudulent investment website. At first, the boss would give them some returns to keep them happy and encourage them to invest more. But after a few cycles, the boss would lock their account, offering excuses, and then demand RM10,000 to unlock it," he said.
He added that if the victims refused to pay, they were instructed to threaten them with explicit photos obtained during the luring process. Salman said they used various tactics to entice the victims, such as using pictures of beautiful women as profile images and engaging in inappropriate conversations with them on social media.
"That was my life for six months, living in hell. I regret deceiving my parents and telling them I worked as a fruit picker in Australia. In Johor, I worked as a part-time bodyguard before accepting a job offer at a factory in Thailand with a salary of about RM5,000, thinking I'd get the chance to see a new country," he said.