KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 —The Immigration Department managed to rescue 40 Indonesian women suspected to be victims of a human trafficking syndicate in raids in several locations around Petaling Jaya near here on Thursday.

Its director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the department also arrested four individuals, including the mastermind, who was operating behind a foreign worker agency.

“A local woman and three Indonesians (a woman and two men), aged 28 to 50, were arrested while the rescued victims, 21 to 51, have been in Malaysia between one to seven years,” he said in a statement yesterday, adding they also seized 12 Indonesian passports belonging to the victims and other foreigners who dealt with the syndicate previously.

Preliminary investigations found that the syndicate would deceive victims with job offers, offering to manage their legal work permits and high salaries but the victims would be housed in places prepared by the syndicate with their movements controlled and their passports held.

The victims would be made to work as daily house maids or cleaners without legal working permits and did not receive the salaries promised, and some of them did have working permits issued under employers but did not work for them.

The case is being investigated under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, he added. — Bernama