Two Women in Kendari Held Captive and Sold to Men, Suspect Arrested

Two women, identified by the initials N (30) and C (16), were allegedly held captive in a hotel in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, and sold to men. The male suspect, identified as D (26), has been arrested by police and is still undergoing questioning. “Yes, we have secured the suspect following a public report,” said Kendari Police Criminal Investigation Unit Head AKP Welliwanto Malau in a statement on Wednesday (24/6/2026). Police initially received a report that two women were being held against their will at a hotel in Kendari District, Kendari City, on Monday evening (22/6). Officers then visited the hotel and rescued both victims. “They were held captive for four days and four nights in the hotel,” Welliwanto stated. He revealed that both women are suspected to be victims of the criminal act of human trafficking. Police also arrested suspect D, who allegedly acted as a pimp. “They admitted to being trafficked by the suspect through a messaging application, and both were immediately taken into protective custody by the Women and Children Protection Unit,” he explained. “The two victims were also frequently threatened by the suspect if they did not comply. We immediately arrested the suspect,” he added.