KUALA LUMPUR: Barely days after a group of Malaysians were rescued in Cambodia, another case of human trafficking has emerged involving two teenagers who were taken to Myanmar.

       What seemed as a way to make quick money for the boys, aged 14 and 15, turned into a nightmare when they were smuggled into Myanmar.

       The best buddies ended up slaving away for an online scam syndicate, with their captors subjecting them to long hours of work.

       But when they could not perform or hit targets, the syndicate decided to hold them for ransom.

       With the assistance of MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong, the duo have been released and are now in the care of a Malaysian businessman in Thailand.

       “The captors initially demanded 300,000 yuan (RM198,951) from the family of the two boys. After some negotiation over the phone, they agreed to let the two go for RM10,000.

       “It was likely they were also pressured by media coverage on the human trafficking issue, so they wanted to get rid of the boys as quickly as possible.

       “They took the boys into Thailand and placed them at a hotel in the border town of Mae Sot.

       “A friend who is a Thai-based businessman is looking after them now and we are in contact with the Malaysian embassy to facilitate their return,” said Chong at a press conference at Wisma MCA.

       However, there lies one issue with the return of the boys – both do not have legal travel documents on them.

       The mother of the 15-year-old, Vuong Thi Hoa, said her son had said he and his friend had got a “lucrative” job offer in Johor working for an automotive company.

       “On the morning of March 23, a few men picked him up from our house in Bera, Pahang. That night, I received a phone call from my son who was crying and said that he had been taken into Thailand and wanted to come home.

       “However, by then it was too late as the captors would not let them go,” said Vuong.

       When she found her son’s passport at home, she knew the boys had been taken out of the country illegally.

       Chong said the two were victims of human trafficking syndicates based in Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia which smuggled people out through “rat trails”.

       “These syndicates would advertise highly paid jobs, usually on Facebook. They would offer between RM6,000 and RM12,000, with no experience or qualification required.

       “They usually target young and naive people from poor backgrounds, hailing from small towns or villages, who are more likely to fall for such offers,” said Chong.

       Chong has been highlighting human trafficking cases involving hundreds of Malaysians over the past week.

       Most victims think they would be working as customer service representatives with lucrative salaries, but as it turns out, they become part of online scam syndicates.

       On Saturday, police said 16 Malaysians were rescued from a human trafficking syndicate in Cambodia with the cooperation of Cambodian and Malaysian police.

       Chong said he had spoken to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, who vowed to put a stop to the human trafficking problem.

       “The IGP told me he is saddened by the situation and pledged to look into the matter. My advice is for people to stay away from job offers that appear too good to be true,” he said.