IPOH, Sept 11 — The Perak Department of Labour (JTK) rescued four Bangladeshi boys suspected of being exploited as forced labour in a factory here under its labour enforcement operation today.

Perak JTK director Muhamad Fauzi Abd Ghani said the four teenagers, aged between 14 and 16, are believed to have worked in the factory for more than a year.

"JTK will apply for an interim protection order (IPO) for the four of them under Section 33 of the Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act 2007.

"This operation was also carried out after the JTK had conducted intelligence activities for over a month on the factory,” he said after joining the operation here today.

He said they also detained the 58-year-old employer under Section 14 of the Atipsom Act 2007 for employing underage workers.

The operation was carried out by 11 Perak JTK personnel and seven members from the Anti-Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies Division (D7) of the Perak Police Headquarters.

Fauzi said that they also detained 36 out of the 224 foreign workers under Section (6)(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155) for not having any valid travel documents, adding that 34 of them were Bangladeshis and two were from Nepal. — Bernama