I.D. Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya
The Surabaya Police are searching for at least 780 people, including children, believed to have been the victims of human trafficking.
The search was begun following the police's failure to make an arrest in a raid on two buildings believed to have been used to house the victims here Wednesday.
The police investigated the buildings after receiving a report from of a victim who managed to escape Monday night after reportedly being held with other victims in the buildings for many days.
The victim, identified as Tutik, 30, reported the human trafficking activities to the police office near the buildings. She was handed over to the East Java social affairs office before being returned to her home town of Yogyakarta.
"Tutik said ... she and hundreds of other victims, including underage women, were held in the two buildings on Jl. Tidar in the city," said a staff member of the social affairs office who asked for anonymity.
The two buildings belong to two private companies identified as PT JKS and PT GS, which have permits to send migrant workers abroad.
"So far, some of the victims are still at large while those found in the buildings are going to be sent back to their home villages," said the staff member.
He said the raid had been leaked before it was conducted, so some of the victims escaped.
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His office and the police will summon the two companies' owners for investigation, he said.
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