KUWAIT: Criminal detectives raided a bogus office that encouraged maids to escape from their workplaces or homes of their sponsors in exchange for double their salaries, Al-Anbaa Arabic daily reported yesterday. Seven Nepalis were arrested, along with several maids found at the office. The bogus office used to send the runaway maids to licensed offices, which in turn sent them to other workplaces, provided that mandoubs (representatives) of the licensed offices paid the gang upfront to have priority for the service.

Detectives were tipped about the bogus office that encouraged maids to escape, then made them work by the hour, after hundreds of maids escaped during the past few months. Information revealed that fights took place between mandoubs of licensed offices at the bogus office to compete for the priority to get the maids.

An undercover source was sent to the office, and when the information was confirmed and the office directors were present, the office was raided and the arrests were made. The suspects said that they went to places such as cooperatives in Kuwaiti areas to urge maids to escape, with promises to pay them double what they get and by the hour. They then coordinated with licensed offices to use the services of the runaway maids.