BINTULU: For three years, 11 people led their lives as veritable 'human slaves' in a small house in Bintulu.
The Indonesians - nine women and two men - were forced to clean up the single-storey house, which was used as a bird's nest farm.
Their imprisonment finally came to an end on Monday, when they were rescued by the police.
Following a week-long surveillance, a team from the district Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Monday (Oct 2) raided the house in Taman Heng, Jalan Sebiew about 2pm.
The house was gated and padlocked, and police were forced to use a cutter to snap open the locks.
Inside, police found the 11 people cooped up in a room.
Sarawak CID chief Datuk Dev Kumar said the prisoners broke down in tears when police found them.
"They wept and begged our men to rescue them," said Dev.
Checks showed that the nine women were aged between 18 and 40, while the two men are 23 and 44.
Also in the house were a 59-year-old man and his wife, 53, both of whom were promptly arrested.
However, Dev said the female suspect hurled vulgarities at the police when she was arrested, and even threatened the cops.
Dev said checks showed that the prisoners had been locked in the room for the past three years.
“They were forced into cleaning bird’s nests.
"They were neither paid for their work, nor were they allowed to leave the house."
He said checks also showed that the prisoners would be abused if they failed to perform their tasks satisfactorily.
The couple are being investigated under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) Act 2007.
They are expected to be produced at the Bintulu’s Court Complex for remand tomorrow morning (Tuesday).