KOTA KINABALU: Labuan police have rescued seven Filipino women believed to be victims of human trafficking.
The women, aged from 25 to 33, had been forced to work at nightspots on the Federal Territory island.
Two of them had managed to escape and subsequently contacted the Philippines Embassy in Kuala Lumpur for help.
Police launched operation Ops Pintas and located the women at two premises at 7.30pm on Friday (Oct 13).
Labuan police chief Supt Mohd Hamizi Halim said the raids were carried out at a hotel on the island using information they received from the two women.
"After our operation, we managed to save a total of seven Filipino women who had been forced to work at a nightspot in the town area.
"We also detained a local man and a Filipino to help in the probe," said Supt Mohd Hamizi on Sunday (Oct 15).
Police learned from questioning that all victims worked as hostesses at the nightspot.
The Labuan Magistrate's Court has granted a remand application on the two detainees beginning from Sunday to Friday (Oct 20).
The case was probed under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act 2007, he added.
