KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 — The police said the Social Welfare Department (JKM) has opened 11 safehouses in total for children rescued from Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings Sdn Bhd (GISBH) welfare homes, up from just four previously.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain also said that 187 victims rescued from its most recent operations this weekend have completed their health screening.

"All the victims have undergone the health screening by the Health Ministry and have been handed over to the Social Welfare Department to be placed in safehouses,” he told a press conference here.

A total of 575 children have been rescued from the welfare homes linked with Global Ikhwan since the beginning of the operation.

In the fourth phase of the police operation named "Op Global, "the police rescued 187 victims to date – 100 males and 87 females.

• 59 children under five years old.
• 75 children from six to 12 years old.
• 40 children from 13 to 17 years old.
• 13 individuals above 18 years old.

The children were rescued as a result of raids at 59 premises linked to GISBH, out of 280 as the police found 221 premises empty.

The police have also rescued the child in the viral video where he was struck with a cane on his palm at Tapah, Perak and another child whose neck was pressed.

"In phase four, we have also rescued four children, who were siblings aged six to 11 years old, at Tapah, Perak, were separated from their father in 2021, one of them was the one struck in the viral TikTok video by a GISBH member.

"In other developments, the child, who was a victim of abuse, whose neck was pressed has been rescued by PDRM (The Royal Malaysia Police) and now in the custody of the police and the Health Ministry,” Razarudin said.

The children are presently at the paediatric ward to undergo health screenings.

This particular case is being investigated under Section 31(1) of the Child Act 2001 and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act for improper use of network facilities for ill-treatment, neglect, abandonment or exposure of children. All the suspects have been remanded.

Preliminary investigations found that the children showed signs of abuse and trauma.

The victims who resided in the welfare homes were the children of GISBH members.

Phase four began on September 21, this year.

GISBH is currently under media spotlight for being at the centre of a multi-agency investigation for a slew of criminal activities, including child sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and promoting Islamic deviancy under the Al-Arqam movement that was banned in 1994.