Timor-Leste recently barred a group of young travellers from going to Cambodia out of fear the individuals may fall victim to human trafficking rings. That is according to a news report quoting a senior police official in the Southeast Asian nation.
João Belo dos Reis, head of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Timor-Leste National Police, told local reporters at a recent press conference in the country’s capital Dili that the group aroused suspicions due to not having documents, return tickets or visas to enter Cambodia.
The investigation led to the conclusion that the youngers were potential victims of human trafficking, especially after it was revealed that the group had allegedly been recruited by a company called Multi Game to work in a casino.
Reis cited similar cases where young individuals had been recruited online to work in Malaysia and later became victims of human traffickers. He also warned young people in the country not to believe promises made in job ads on the internet, citing fake news posted in the name of his own agency on social media.
Timor-Leste, or East Timor, has a population of around 1,3 million people and a high poverty rate that leads many citizens to try and leave the nation in search of a better life elsewhere.
