Bukit Aman criminal investigation department (CID) director Abdul Jalil Hassan said police had received six reports on human trafficking syndicates, exploitation and forced labour during the past year.

He said the reports involved a total of 26 victims, including two women, who had been deceived and exploited to work in Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.

“Police believe there are more victims who have yet to lodge reports and are still being held by these syndicates,” he said in a statement.

According to Jalil, the syndicates would often advertise employment opportunities abroad through social media, offering to bear the cost of travel expenses to the destination.

“These victims usually have their travel documents and mobile phones seized upon arrival. They are then forced to scam people over the internet or conduct other fraudulent work,” he said.

He said the victims were usually told to pay between RM30,000 and RM50,000 for their freedom.

“We believe these syndicates have cross-border operations with extensive networks across the region,” he said.

Jalil said that other than Interpol and Aseanapol, Bukit Aman would work with the foreign ministry to locate victims abroad.

He urged the public to be mindful of fraudulent job offers advertised online.

On Wednesday, the parents of two Malaysian men allegedly held captive by an online scam syndicate based in Cambodia pleaded with the authorities to rescue them.

The two, aged 18 and 24, were believed to have been duped into going to Cambodia with job offers as telemarketers and being held captive and forced to scam people over the internet, the parents claimed.