BALIK PULAU: A Nigerian woman fell victim to a scam by an agent who promised her a job as a domestic helper but instead forced her into sex work.
The incident came to light after the 25-year-old woman managed to escape from a house in Bayan Lepas and filed a police report.
Southwest district police chief Assistant Commissioner Sazalee Adam said a team from the southwest district Criminal Investigation Department conducted a raid at the house at 10pm last Saturday.
Following the raid, four people, including a couple, were arrested on suspicion of involvement in human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
"They are aged between 24 and 37, and one of them is a local woman," he said.
Investigations revealed that the victim was offered a job as a domestic helper in Malaysia by a female agent of the same nationality.
The victim arrived in Malaysia via Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Oct 10 before being brought to Penang by the agent to work as a sex worker, he added during a press conference today.
Sazalee said that after escaping, the victim went to Kuala Lumpur, sought assistance from the embassy, and then lodged a police report.
All those arrested are now under a seven-day remand starting yesterday, and the case is being investigated under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (Atipsom) 2007.
Sazalee further revealed that three of the foreign nationals had entered Malaysia in January on tourist visas and were renting the house in question.
"The syndicate charged between RM150 to RM500 for sex services for each booking at entertainment venues," he said.