The 41-year-old woman, who goes by the name Huda, said the couple contacted her through WhatsApp in early October, claiming they were working at a foreign embassy in Bangkok and came across the advertisement she posted on Facebook promoting her services.

“The couple then made a video call to enquire about the services. They offered a substantial salary for four days of service and a flight ticket to Bangkok.

“I was told that a driver would be waiting for me at the airport to take me to meet them,” she said at a press conference held at the Malaysia International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO). MHO secretary-general Hishamuddin Hashim was also present at the press conference.

Huda flew to Bangkok on Oct 13, where she was met by a man wearing a uniform at Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The man said he was to take her to a travel agency.

She became suspicious when she was not allowed to change money or her telephone SIM card and was told to follow the driver’s instructions.

“During the drive, I noticed via Google Maps that the driver had changed direction and was driving towards Mae Sot, Tak, bordering Myanmar, six hours from Bangkok.

“When we reached the checkpoint, I was told to hand over my passport to be stamped but I refused. Instead, I told the policemen manning the area about my predicament,” she said.

Huda said the policemen questioned the driver, who denied any involvement and was released. She added that she was given a bus ticket to return to Bangkok.

Huda then took a train to Malaysia via Padang Besar and arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 15.

Hishamuddin urged the public to be wary of syndicates offering high salaries in neighbouring countries, as human trafficking syndicates had become increasingly manipulative to trap victims.