Jeddah officials have arrested a large network hiring illegal workers, said Jeddah police spokesman Lt. Nawwaf Al-Bouq.

The network contains more than 30 domestic workers, most of them Africans with a few Asian members.

Police managed to locate the office, run by an African woman, in collaboration with the anti-begging office in Jeddah.

Police and the Jeddah Passport Department are processing paperwork for their deportation, Al-Bouq told Arab News.

Al-Bouq noted that demand for domestic helpers has gone up during the month of Ramadan, which has helped the expansion of such networks.

Dealers in black market employment agencies have confirmed that this is due to the increasing demand on domestic workers during Ramadan. Some of these workers rake in up to SR4,000 a month thanks to a shortage of housemaids from the Philippines and Indonesia.

Citizens have long since complained about skyrocketing prices and have asked the Labor Ministry to regulate the market and punish agents found increasing prices extortionately.

Jasser Al-Juhani, a citizen, said that recruitment costs reached record highs thanks to demand.

“The presence of irregular employment allows for the emergence of a black market for fugitives and illegal workers in the absence of supervisory authorities,” said Mohammed Al-Shammari, another citizen.

A security officer at the Jeddah Passports Authority has warned that violators would be sentenced in accordance with existent laws