JEDDAH, 17 June 2007 — The Passport Department in Jeddah recently arrested a woman who ran an illegal business of helping maids abscond from their sponsors and arranging alternative jobs for them.
Following a tip-off, Passport Department officials monitored the activities of the woman, Amina Mahfouz, who would take payment from maids for her services. She would also take commission from people that employed the runaway maids.
After being arrested Mahfouz admitted that she helped maids abscond and that she would find alternative employment for them. She also revealed that during the summer wedding season, she would employ runaway maids as waitresses to serve at wedding banquets.
The Passport Department revealed that it has recently arrested Noor Salim Nhroy, a 35-year old Indonesian national, who ran a similar business as Mahfouz. Of late, the Passport Department has secured the arrests of a number of overstayers working at five-star hotels in the city.
