Young travelers barred from going to Cambodia from Timor-Leste over human trafficking concerns

A recent news article states that Timor-Leste has prohibited a group of adolescent tourists from traveling to Cambodia due to concerns that they would become victims of human trafficking.

Suspicion was aroused when João Belo dos Reis, the head of the Timor-Leste National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department, said during a press conference in Dili that the group did not have legitimate documentation, return tickets, or visas for Cambodia.

These individuals may have been victims of human trafficking, according to the investigation, particularly because Multi Game, a company, allegedly hired them to work at a casino.

Similar incidents, as reported by Reis, were young people who were tricked online into working in Malaysia only to end up as victims of human trafficking. In addition to pointing out the existence of fake news linked to his group on social media, he advised young Timorese people not to trust the promises made in job advertisements posted online.

With a population of around 1.3 million and a high percentage of poverty, Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, has led many of its citizens to look for opportunities abroad in hopes of a better future.

Original story by: Asia Gaming Brief