PETALING JAYA: Police rescued 35 exploited migrant workers who had been held against their will in five separate raids in Melaka and Selangor.
Bukit Aman CID chief Huzir Mohamed said the raids saw 32 Indonesian and one Cambodian woman rescued in Melaka Tengah, while two Indonesian women were rescued here.
The victims were aged between 18 and 40.
They had been working as home cleaners at a cleaning service agency in Melaka since 2018 and were each offered a salary of RM900 to RM1,200 a month.
“However, all of them did not receive the salary they had been promised.
“They were kept locked up at home with their movements under tight control. They were also not allowed to use their mobile phones.
“All the victims rescued have been placed at a safe home in the meantime,” Huzir said in a statement today.
In the raids, the cops detained three Malaysian women, aged between 33 and 42, believed to be the employers, to assist in investigations. A Malaysian man in his 40s was also detained.
The three women will face 35 charges under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act 2007, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.
If found guilty, they could face a maximum jail sentence of 15 years and a fine.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian man, who was an accomplice, will also be charged under Section 12 of the Atipsom Act, read with Section 109 of the Penal Code.
“In total, there are 70 charges that will be brought against the four detained.
“All of them will be charged at the Melaka Tengah Sessions Court tomorrow (Dec 21),” said Huzir.