Indonesian authorities arrested 76 female Chinese nationals in a raid on illegal immigrants on New Year's Eve, an official said on Sunday. Some of those arrested are believed to be sex workers.
"It's a record for us. Many have been arrested and all are women. They were arrested for violating permits," Yurod Saleh, a director from the Immigration Office at the Law and Human Rights Ministry told The Jakarta Post.
According to Yurod, some of the women, who were aged between 18 and 30, were arrested while they were working as singing guides at karaoke parlors in Jakarta. "They are victims of human trafficking committed by irresponsible parties," he added.
The officials have confiscated Chinese passports, bills, 15 million rupees (S$1,600) in cash and contraceptives from those women. If convicted, those women would face punishments, including from fines and deportation to prison terms.
