PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department arrested three individuals suspected of exploiting and trafficking Indonesian workers over the past four years, during a raid on a house in Petaling Jaya, Selangor yesterday.
Its director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said in the 10.30pm operation, a local man and woman, along with an Indonesian woman acting as agents, were detained.
“We also rescued four Indonesian women, aged 31 to 51, who were believed to be human trafficking victims.
“In this operation, we initially investigated to identify human trafficking victims using the National Guidelines on Human Trafficking Indicators (NGHTI 2.0),“ he said in a statement today.
He said the initial investigation revealed that the four Indonesian women had been exploited. They were victims of job scams, unpaid wages, their movement restricted and their passports were held.
Ruslin said the preliminary investigation suggests that the agents are suspected of human trafficking, actively involved in managing entries, recruiting, offering maid services and controlling victims’ placement in homes.
“The three agents offered maid services priced between RM14,000 to RM20,000, along with promises of Temporary Employment Visit Passes (PLKS).
“The investigation revealed that the agents used WhatsApp to arrange meetings with prospective employers and sent false information to make their transactions appear legitimate,” he said adding, the case is being investigated under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
