20 RI women held as sex slaves freed

20 RI women held as sex slaves freed

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Immigration officers acting on a public tip-off discovered 20 Indonesian women who alleged that a Malaysian prostitution syndicate was holding them captive in a three-story building, a news report said Tuesday.

The women, aged 19 to 27, claimed they were only set free for six hours every night to ply their trade at a karaoke center located opposite their place of confinement, the Malay Mail afternoon daily reported.

The paper, quoting officials, said that 20 immigration officers raided the center in Seri Kembangan, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, late Monday. The raid was called "Ops Sayang," or "Love Operation."

The report said these women had been forced to become "sex slaves" by the prostitution ring. Four of them did not own passports.

One of the women interviewed by the Malay Mail claimed that the syndicate provided them with clothes, shoes and food, but refused to let them wander around.

"I am supporting my family in Jawa Tengah. I come from a poor family," said the 19-year-old woman, whom the Malay Mail identified as Jessy.

"My duty was to make the customers happy."

Jessy told the paper she had been working at the center for a week. The paper did not say how long the other women had been held.

Malaysian authorities have conducted 45 raids this year on entertainment outlets which employ foreigners, the paper quoted immigration enforcement director Nasir Ahmad as saying.

Nasir said the women would be detained for questioning for at least two weeks. He did not say whether they would eventually be prosecuted or deported.