SHAH ALAM: Four wives including a woman from Australia and three children of a member of the Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISB) board of directors have been remanded for seven days to assist in the investigation into allegations of child trafficking and exploitation.
Deputy Registrar Muhammad Firdaus Abdul Rashid granted the remand order when the seven were produced at the magistrate's court here this morning.
Lawyer Rosli Kamaruddin said those remanded to facilitate investigations into the case comprising six women and a man aged between 18 and 55.
"All of them including the five wives of the board of directors' member were arrested by the police in Rawang last night.
"They have been remanded for seven days starting today until Oct 4," he told reporters.
The case is being investigated under Section 31(a) of the Child Act 2001 and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2022.
Earlier, all seven people arrived in a police van, closely guarded by policemen from the Criminal Investigation Department at around 9.30am.
They were taken to be detained at the lock-up at the Shah Alam district police headquarters.
Meanwhile, at the same court, the remand of 10 people previously arrested in connection with the case has been extended.
Muhammad Firdaus granted the remand order, ranging from four to seven days, for eight men and two women aged between 22 and 53.
Lawyer Shalehuddin Salam said the 10 people had their remand extended after their initial remand order ends today.
Earlier this month, the police rescued 402 people, some as young as one, from GISB-linked welfare homes who had endured various forms of exploitation and abuse, including being sodomised.
GISB has since denied the allegations of child exploitation and sexual abuse.
On Sept 23, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said under phase four of Op Global, 187 more victims were rescued, comprising 100 males and 87 females.