Editor’s note: Updated with details.
KUCHING, March 5: Police have arrested two male suspects over the alleged Liberia job scam, where eight Sarawakians became the latest victims.
The suspects, aged 56 and 60 were arrested in a house at Jalan Cherry, Sibu and Sibu Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) vicinity between 9.30am and 10am.
CCID chief Supt Mustafa Kamal Gani Abdullah confirmed the arrest.
One of the victims, who is from Kapit, lodged a police report at 8.48am.
“Sometime in December last year, the victim received a message via WeChat from a man offering lucrative job in Liberia, with salary up to RM8,000. Meals, accommodation and transportation cost were also offered in the package. Together with seven other friends, they agreed to take up the offer and met a man to discuss on their visa and flight ticket to Liberia,” Mustafa said in a statement today.
On Jan 31, all eight victims flew to Liberia and upon arrival, they were taken to a village at Mount Barclay.
The eight, Gawan Masin, 41, Enyang Ato, 66, Aji Surau, 39, Untol Luyang, 58, Sallim Tahir, 49, Suhaili Gani, 39, Bon Egat, 45, and Dingai Nyalak, 47, were kept in a house and left stranded since then without any job.
“They had to sell their personal belongings such as watch and mobile phones to buy food and daily needs,” Mustafa added.
The victim’s plight was later highlighted to Wisma Putra and they were successfully repatriated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through a concerted diplomatic and consular efforts and landed safely back home in the state yesterday (March 4).
The Foreign Affairs Ministry also stated that all of the stranded Sarawakians were cheated by a local Malaysian job syndicate.
This is the second incident this year involving Malaysians who went abroad to work, following the release of 47 Malaysians from a Cambodian prison last month. — DayakDaily
