The arrests come after the recent rescue of 402 children and youths from care homes reportedly operated by a well-known business group.
Police in Malaysia have arrested the chief executive and other leaders of a prominent business group accused of operating charity homes where hundreds of children and youths were allegedly subjected to physical and sexual abuse. Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain confirmed on Thursday that Nasiruddin Mohd Ali, head of Global Ikhwan Services and Business (GISB), along with 18 others aged between 25 and 65, were apprehended during a police raid in Kuala Lumpur.
Among the detainees were members of GISB’s advisory board. The company, which describes itself as “Islamic,” operates businesses ranging from supermarkets to laundromats in over 20 countries and is linked to the now-defunct Al-Arqam religious sect.
The arrests also included two of Nasiruddin’s four wives, two of his children, and several descendants of the late Malaysian preacher Ashaari Mohamed, founder of Al-Arqam, which was banned in 1994 for heretical practices.
In a separate operation, five additional individuals connected to the company were arrested at the Thailand border, Razarudin reported. These arrests follow last week’s rescue of 402 children and youths from 20 locations across two states, many of whom showed signs of neglect and abuse, according to officials.
