(ECNS) -- A staff member at the Chinese consulate in Malaysia said investigations are underway following local media reports about disabled Chinese children found begging in Malaysia, Beijing Youth Daily reported on Wednesday.
Malaysian media reports said on Monday that transnational gangs are maiming and disfiguring trafficked Chinese children, keeping them captive for years before sending them to Malaysia on tourist visas to beg in local scenic spots. Local reporters found at least 30 disabled or disfigured beggars in Petaling Street (Chinatown) in Kuala Lumpur, it was reported.
The amount of money the beggars could get seemed to depend on the degree to which their disabilities could provoke sympathy from people, said the reports. The gang's leaders appeared a few hours later, collecting half of the money and another 10 percent to cover the beggars' transport costs, it was added.
Workers at the Chinese consulate confirmed to Beijing Youth Daily that Chinese children becoming beggars or vagrants had been a problem for a long time. So far, some crime rings had been cracked but still more were surfacing, it said.
Recently, the consulate and Malaysian police worked together to rescue at least 10 disabled Chinese beggars in Johor Bahru, it said.
However, the consulate had received no news of Malaysian police becoming involved in the latest case, it added.
