First of 32 trapped labourers returns from Malaysia

Kolkata: Sanjay Mallick, one of the labourers from Bengal who had been trapped in Malaysia for more than a month, is finally returning home on an Air Asia flight on Sunday night. Mallick was one of the two victims who had sent an audio message through an app to the National Anti Trafficking Committee (NATC), seeking assistance on Friday.

"We managed to contact the supervisor of the company who was supposed to employ Sanjay and I had a two hour conversation with him in the morning, regarding the strong measures that are being taken for their rescue. Soon after this, I was contacted by Sanjay from the airport, saying that he has been handed over his passport and visa and dropped at the local airport. We arranged for his tickets and he is returning home. Once he is rescued, it will be easier for us to locate the other persons who are trapped there," said Sheikh Jinnar Ali, national chairman of NATC.

Mallick and Julfikar Ali Mondal, in their audio message to NATC on Friday, had narrated their plight stating that 32 people from the state have been trapped after they were lured with the promise of lucrative jobs in Malaysia.

The NATC chairman informed the matter to Union minister of External Affairs, the office of Prime Minister and the state Chief Minister, Consulate General Malaysia in India and the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) about their plight, urging them to take up the matter and take steps for their rescue.

"I have received an e-mail that a five member team has been formed by the PMO to rescue them," Ali added.

The victims had gone to Malaysia through an agent at Gopalnagar in North 24-Parganas under tourist visa for jobs as construction labourers.

Recently, 12 people from the state who had found themselves in similar plight after they were lured with the promise of jobs in the jewellery industry, were rescued after they had communicated a similar voice message to the NATC.