FIVE Malaysians, who had fallen victim to job scams in Cambodia, returned home yesterday, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last night.

The ministry said 148 people – from 158 reported cases – have so far been rescued from Cambodia.

“Of the number of rescued victims, 29 are still in immigration detention in Cambodia, while the remainder have returned home.

“The Malaysian Embassy in Phnom Penh is actively pursuing efforts to track down citizens reported to be victims of job scams,” read the statement.

The ministry said it is working to rescue Malaysians who were similarly duped in Laos, Myanmar and Thailand through the respective Malaysian embassies, adding that a total of 16 Malaysians have been rescued in Thailand, 27 from Laos and five from Myanmar.

Meanwhile, the ministry said it is tracking down 12 people in Thailand, as well as 28 and 54 Malaysians in Laos and Myanmar respectively.

“Malaysian embassies in the countries involved will continue to intensify efforts and co-operate with the authorities in those countries to locate and rescue the victims,” it added. – Bernama, September 20, 2022.