Police continue crackdown, arrest several key figures

KUALA LUMPUR:The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) today intensified its operations and arrested several key figures associated with Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holding (GISBH), including the company’s top management, during operations carried out in Kedah and the capital.

Police Inspector Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said the top management were among 19 people arrested by the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) D8 (Special Operations), D14 (Organised Crime) and the Special Integrated Investigation Team during simultaneous raids on four residential units in Bukit Bintang early this morning.

The detainees, consisting of 12 men and seven women aged between 25 and 65, have been held for seven days starting today to assist in the investigation into child exploitation and trafficking.

The case is being investigated under section 32(a) of the Child Act 2001, section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and section 14 of the Anti-Human Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Smuggling Act.

The arrests follow the arrest yesterday in Bukit Kayu Hitam of five people, including the son of the company’s CEO, as they tried to flee to Thailand.

Police also seized two campers with the company’s logo on them, which were allegedly used to flee to the neighboring country.

The five suspects, aged between 30 and 41, were also remanded in custody for a week today at Shah Alam magistrate’s court in Selangor.

When contacted by Bernama, Razarudin assured that the police would continue the investigation into GISBH in a phased manner.

In Seremban, three teaching assistants from a madrassa in Kuala Pilah have pleaded not guilty at the Kuala Pilah court to 14 charges of sexually abusing five children in 2022 and 2023.

Muhammad Habib Noh Mohd Zairi, 21, Muhammad Khunais Fathie Khabil, 20, and Ahmad Nadzful Izham Azizan, 22, entered the plea after the charges were read out separately before Judge Datin Surita Budin.

They were charged under Section 14(a) and Section 14(b) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.

So far, five individuals associated with the company have been charged in court for various offences related to their involvement with the organisation.

On September 12, a 19-year-old girl was charged with four counts of physical assault against four girls aged five and six at a daycare centre in Seremban.

The charges are made under section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 and are punishable under section 31(1) of the same Act if convicted.

Yesterday, 39-year-old businessman Mohamad Riza Makar was charged by the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court with making criminal threats against a woman on September 9. The charge is based on Article 506 of the Criminal Code.

Since September 11, Bukit Aman CID has been conducting operations under the ‘Global Op’ by raiding 20 nursing homes in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan linked to GISBH, and managed to rescue 402 children and teenagers – 201 boys and 201 girls – aged between one and 17 years old.

Two days ago, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, ordered the police to immediately conduct a full investigation into the alleged criminal activities and child abuse associated with the GISB welfare institutions.