KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department has rescued six foreign women suspected of being victims of sexual exploitation in a targeted anti-human trafficking operation in the city.
Its director-general, Datuk Ruslin Jusoh, said the operation yesterday involved a raid on a three-storey shoplot, leading to the rescue of the women, five of whom are from Vietnam while the other was Thai.
"The operation, which began at 10pm, involved a team of personnel from the Immigration headquarters Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) and Anti-Money Laundering (Amla) Prevention Division and the Enforcement Division.
"This operation also employed an approach to identify human trafficking victims (sexual exploitation) among vulnerable groups, guided by the National Guideline on Human Trafficking Indicators (NGHTI) 2.0,
"We arrested a local man suspected of acting as a 'handler' and 'captain', controlling these foreign women and profiting from the exploitation of trafficked persons," he said in a statement.
Ruslin said, based on information obtained from complaints and intelligence, the department does not rule out the possibility that this activity involved a syndicate.
"The syndicate's modus operandi involved promising legitimate job opportunities, but upon arrival in the country, the women were exploited as sex workers.
"They promoted these foreign women through online applications, where the selected women would be arranged for clients at the premises."
Ruslin said the syndicate has profited significantly from exploiting the victims by charging RM240 for a one-hour session, while the victims were only paid RM100 for that period.
He also said the movements of these women were restricted and completely controlled by the "handler".
"Food was only ordered through GrabFood, they were not allowed to go out to purchase personal necessities, and their passports were held by the syndicate," he said.
Ruslin added that the department has initiated an investigation to identify offences under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
"The department takes such matters seriously and continues enforcement operations while taking firm action against any party found guilty of human trafficking offences under the act mentioned.
"If convicted, the individuals involved could face life imprisonment or imprisonment for a term of not less than five years and may also be subject to caning for more severe trafficking offences," he said, adding that the department encourages cooperation from the public if they have any information regarding human trafficking crimes.