Human trafficking syndicate disguised as a job agency busted
Immigration deputy director-general (management) Ismail Mokhtar said the operation, led by the department's Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Money Laundering Division in Putrajaya, was carried out upon receiving public complaints and after two weeks of intelligence gathering.
"A local woman, believed to be the mastermind, and two Filipino women acting as caretakers of the premises were arrested during the operation," he said in a statement today.
Nine Filipino women believed to be victims were rescued, while 10 others aged between 26 and 43 were detained for further investigation.
All of them lacked valid passports or visit passes.
The premises, believed to be used as a holding area for the victims, were seized along with several Philippine and Indonesian passports, and mobile phones containing suspected evidence of communication between the mastermind and caretakers.
Ismail said the modus operandi involved luring foreign workers from source countries with false promises of employment.
Upon arrival, they were bound by contracts and prohibited from returning to their home countries.
They were forced to work and made to pay exorbitant fees set by the agency.
"These women were made to work part-time as domestic helpers for multiple employers, earning between RM70 and RM120 per day.
"However, the wages were collected entirely by the agency without the victims' knowledge or consent," he said.
He added that the victims were tightly controlled, with their passports held by the agency and their phones confiscated by the caretakers, only returned when deemed necessary.
The operation also adopted a victim-identification approach based on the National Guideline on Human Trafficking Indicators 2.0 to detect elements of forced labour, particularly among vulnerable groups.
Ismail said investigations are now underway under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, which carries penalties of up to 30 years in prison, life imprisonment, and whipping upon conviction.
"The public is urged to continue channeling information about the exploitation of foreign nationals to the Immigration Department so immediate and firm action can be taken," he said.
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