Its director-general, Ruslin Jusoh, said 10 Indonesian women who were believed to be victims were rescued following raids at two premises at about 7pm last Tuesday.

In a statement, he said the women, aged between 23 and 50, were carrying social visit passes that had expired.

Also detained was an Indonesian woman in her 30s, also a holder of an expired social visit pass, who was believed to have been supervising the women.

Following the first raid, the department raided a job recruitment agency at about 8.30pm and detained its owner, a woman in her 40s, who was believed to have brought in the foreigners and was managing the syndicate’s operations.

“The modus operandi of this syndicate is to use women who are foreign nationals to work as daily maids and cleaners at residential homes,” he said, adding that the syndicate charged between RM150 and RM250 a day for the services.

Ruslin said the syndicate had been operating for more than two years and is believed to have raked in a profit of RM900,000 a year.

He said the victims told his team that they have yet to receive their wages, were denied off days and the opportunity to use handphones to contact their families.

The women have been placed at the immigration depot here for further investigation as they are suspected of violating several immigration laws and regulations.

The job agency owner has been released on police bail, he added.