KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 — Police arrested several members of Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings’s (GISBH) top management, including its CEO Nasiruddin Ali and his wife in a special operation yesterday.

Quoting a source Harian Metro reported that 19 people were arrested in the operation carried out by Bukit Aman’s criminal investigation department at several locations.

According to the Malay daily the CEO’s two children have also been arrested to assist in the investigations.

The source said the others detained include the child of former Al-Arqam leader Ashaari Muhammad.

The arrests comprised of 12 men and seven women aged between 30 and 65-years-old.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain confirmed the arrests and said the media will be given official updated soon.

Last week, police rescued 402 children from 20 welfare homes in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan which the authorities had linked to GISBH. They also arrested 171 people, including an ustaz and a hostel warden.

Investigations so far revealed that at least 13 of the children were allegedly sodomised or taught to sexually assault others.

GISBH had denied it operated the welfare homes that were raided, and rejected claims children under its care were sodomised or forced to sexually assault others.

Earlier this morning, three men claimed trial in the sessions court in Seremban to a total of 14 counts of sexual assault on boys aged between nine and 11 at a religious school linked to GISBH.

The trio, who are teaching assistants, are accused of committing the offences in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, between 2022 and 2023.