KLANG: In a late-night operation, Immigration Department (JIM) officers raided a two-storey shop lot in Klang on Monday, rescuing seven Vietnamese women suspected of being held captive as sex slaves by a Bangladeshi man.
The raid, carried out with officers from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) division, followed a tip-off.
The officers forced entry at 11.23pm into the premises after the caretaker refused to cooperate.
JIM, in a statement today said upon gaining entry, the women were found confined to small rooms and had been sexually exploited for money.
"Preliminary investigations revealed that the victims, aged between 32 and 45, had entered Malaysia as tourists and were later coerced into sex work. If they refused to comply, they were subjected to abuse," it said.
The premises were heavily secured with closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, and the women were closely monitored by the Bangladeshi national to prevent escape.
The suspect attempted to flee through a second-floor window during the raid but was apprehended.
"The investigation also uncovered that the women's passports were confiscated by agents who had lured them to Malaysia under false job promises.
"They earned only RM60 per client and were restricted from leaving the premises, including for food or essentials," it added.
JIM confirmed the use of the National Guideline on Human Trafficking Indicators (NGHTI) 2.0 to identify the victims and has launched an investigation under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) Act 2007 [Act 670].
Offenders face severe penalties, including life imprisonment or a minimum of five years, and caning for serious offences.
The public is urged to report any suspicious human trafficking activities via the department's ATIPSOM & AMLA hotline at 03-8880 1471 or by e-mailing: urusetia_p@imi.gov.my.