SEREMBAN, Aug 3 ― Police have arrested a male celebrity on suspicion of involvement in human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

He was picked up at a roadblock in Negri Sembilan two days ago, Kuala Pilah District Police chief Supt Amran Mohd Ghani said today.

Following the arrest, the police rescued a woman of Melanau descent from a hotel room in Kuala Pilah at about 10am, he said in a statement.

The police seized a car, several packets of condom, some cash and four handphones at the time of the arrest, he said.

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Amran said the rescued woman had secured a temporary protection order and had been placed in a shelter home in Johor.

“The case is being investigated under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 which provides for a jail sentence of up to 15 years and a fine upon conviction.

Amran said the celebrity is being remanded under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code for four days from last Sunday.

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He also said that the man was issued with a compound fine for inter-state movement without a permit under the Covid-19 pandemic rules.

“Investigation is also on to identify the network of the human trafficking activity,” he said. ― Bernama