How a translation app helped scammed Malaysians escape to freedom in Peru
- Forty-three people were trafficked to Peru and imprisoned in a bungalow, where a gang forced them to call the scam targets in Malaysia
- Two of the victims managed to flee and spoke to a neighbour about their plight using a translation app, prompting a police raid that freed the captives
The 43 Malaysians rescued from a scam syndicate in Peru owe their freedom to the determination of two of their number – and also partly to a smartphone translation application.
It was one such app that helped them communicate their plight to a neighbour after the two victims climbed over the wall of the compound where they were imprisoned.
Furthermore, Peruvian police who raided the bungalow where they were imprisoned had never faced such a situation before, foreign ministry Sarawak regional office director Fenny Nuli said.
It was thanks to the ministry’s efforts that the rescued Malaysians were classified as victims, and not criminals, or they would have been jailed, she added.
Fenny said the victims told her they were locked in with all the windows closed and did not know if it was day or night.