KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20 — Police have rescued 35 foreign women, believed to be forced labour victims exploited by a cleaning service agency, following raids in Melaka Tengah and Petaling Jaya.

Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Huzir Mohamed said in the raids conducted on Nov 12, 32 Indonesian and a Cambodian woman were rescued in Melaka while two other Indonesians were rescued in Selangor.

"The victims aged between 18 and 40 years claimed they were made to work as daily house cleaners around Melaka since 2018 and have not received the RM900 to RM1,200 monthly income as promised,” he said in a statement today.

"They were locked up at home, their movements monitored and were prohibited from using mobile phones,” he added.

In the raids police detained three local women aged between 33 and 42 years, believed to be the employers, along with their accomplice a local man in his 40s.

Huzir said the three female suspects would be charged at the Melaka Tengah Sessions Court tomorrow with 35 counts 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.

The man would be charged under Section 12 of the Atipsom Act, read together with Section 109 of the Penal Code.

All victims have been placed in shelter homes, he added. — Bernama