00:04A father broke down in tears as he appealed for help to find his missing son at a press conference
00:09organized by MCA Public Services and Complaints Department
00:13head Datuk Sri Michael Chong on Thursday.
00:33Tan said his 20-year-old son of Chinese Thai heritage
00:37has been missing since traveling to Thailand with his former employer on June 16.
00:43Two weeks after losing contact with him,
00:45Tan's wife received a call from a Cantonese-speaking caller
00:49claiming their son had been arrested in Hong Kong as a suspected drug mule.
00:54The family has been unable to verify the claim with the authorities.
00:57Although the young man's phone still rings on WhatsApp, no one answers.
01:03Tan said his son had recently graduated from college and was working as a mobile phone salesman.
01:08The family was not alarmed by the Thailand trip as his wife is Thai
01:12and they frequently visit relatives there.
01:21After failing to trace him through the embassy or the foreign ministry,
01:24the family lodged a police report on July 4.
01:28Chong said the youth may have been tricked into becoming a drug or money mule
01:32before being arrested overseas.
01:35He warned that criminal syndicates often lure young people and persons with disabilities
01:40with promises of free holidays or lucrative jobs.
01:44Some are arrested abroad, while others fall victim to human trafficking and disappear.
01:49Normally when they're arrested, as I say,
01:52which one putra will be normally five months.
01:55But in this case, he doesn't know
01:57because it's more than a month that he went missing.
02:02Normally, if any for that matter, the arrest,
02:06the authority there will inform our embassy or our high commission there.
02:14Normally, they'll inform the embassy and embassy will inform related to the message to Risma Putra.
02:21But in this case, no.
02:23So, we believe maybe what happened to the son, we still don't know.
02:27But that person who called up said that it's like this.
02:31So, after that, he came over here.
02:34So, we alert him if another call come to say that,
02:39you know, you need to pay and all these things.
02:41Normally, it's come like this.
02:43First, they'll tell you the son is arrested and all because you don't know.
02:47Maybe they put the son for holiday, took away his wound.
02:50We don't know, you see.
02:51Then there's some conspiracy there.
02:55Then the money, they will start extortion.
02:58We have many cases already.
03:01Chong said he would accompany Tan to Risma Putra
03:03to seek assistance in tracing the missing youth.
03:06He added that his department has handled about 25 similar cases since last year,
03:12many involving drug syndicates, scams or human trafficking.
03:16He also warned families not to trust callers demanding money
03:19to secure the release of missing loved ones.
03:22Chong urged families to verify such claims with the foreign ministry
03:26or the nearest Malaysian embassy before taking any action.
03:30thing that isă till he at first later,
03:40the Indian angel was powiedziaĹ.
03:40That is his duty.
03:41HenryĂźnkĂź
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