A female suspect wanted in connection to the human trafficking ring, involving Sri Lankan women in Oman, has been arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) today.
The Police Media Unit confirmed to NewsWire, that the CID had issued a summons to the woman to report to the department as part of the ongoing investigations into the human trafficking ring.
The Police said the 49-year-old woman was arrested after she had surrendered to the CID through her lawyers this morning.
Multiple arrests have been made thus far in connection to the human trafficking ring through which Sri Lankan women were illegally sent to Middle Eastern countries such as Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and were sold for sexual activities.
The chief suspect involved in the human trafficking ring was arrested on Saturday, 19th November and has been remanded until 24th November.
The local agent of the chief suspect involved in the human trafficking ring was arrested by the CID on Sunday (20). He has been ordered to be remanded until December 01 after being produced before the Fort Magistrate’s Court.
The arrests come after the CID launched a probe into complaints of Sri Lankan female migrant workers being sent as domestic workers to Oman being sold at auctions to work as escorts.
Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa revealed that investigations had uncovered that Sri Lankan women were being sent to Oman for employment under tourist visas and were being abused.
He said upon their arrival, these women are not provided jobs as promised, and are instead sold at auctions to work as escorts.
The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Oman also revealed that it receives an increasing number of complaints daily from Sri Lankan female domestic workers who arrived in Oman, most of whom had arrived using visit or tourist visas intending to convert them to work visas.
Stating that many of them were trafficked by unscrupulous and unregistered agents, the Embassy said they have faced tremendous difficulties including various harassment.
The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Oman said that currently around 90 Sri Lankan female domestic workers are stranded in Oman seeking repatriation assistance. (NewsWire)