Three agents held for exploiting Indonesian workers

PUTRAJAYA: Three people suspected of exploiting and trafficking Indonesian workers over the past four years were arrested during a raid on a house in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Immigration Department director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said in the operation on Friday night, a local man and woman, along with an Indonesian woman, believed to be agents, were detained.

“We also rescued four Indonesian women, aged 31 to 51, who are believed to be human-trafficking victims.

“In this operation, we initially tried to identify human-trafficking victims using the National Guidelines on Human Trafficking Indicators,” he said in a statement yesterday.

The investigation revealed that the four Indonesian women had been exploited. They were victims of job scams, unpaid wages, their movement restricted and passports held.

Ruslin, reported BK, said the preliminary investigation suggested the agents were 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 from RM14,000 to RM20,000, along with promises of Temporary Employment Visit Passes (PLKS).

“The agents were found to have used WhatsApp to arrange meetings with prospective employers and sent false information to legitimise transactions,” he said.

The case is being investigated under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act.

In Kuala Lumpur, the department also detained 15 undocumented workers hired as cleaners during a raid on a sports school in Bukit Jalil on Friday.

Kuala Lumpur branch director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff said the five men and 10 women from Indonesia, aged between 25 and 45, are being held at the Bukit Jalil Immigration Depot for investigation, under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1 for not having valid passes or permits, and Section 15(1)(c) of the same Act, for overstaying.

“Two summonses were issued to the representatives of the sports school,” he said yesterday.

He added the department also thwarted attempts by several employers to falsify documents, by using fictitious registration and company addresses for the Workforce Recalibration Programme 2.0, and employing undocumented immigrants.

Four people were arrested during Ops Sapu raids.

The cases are being investigated under Section 56(1)(k) of the Immigration Act for attempting to procure a pass by making false statements.