Yesterday, the Department of Immigration and Emigration rescued a group of young Pakistani females and their male manager who had been brought into Sri Lanka by a local man claiming to be a filmmaker. The group had been exploited to work as belly dancers at a Colombo nightclub. The immigration department’s investigation division acted on information and found the group in an apartment in Dehiwala. The group had arrived in the country on September 18, and had been promised work in a film by the local man who had arranged their air tickets and a one month business visa. However, they had not been given any work in a film and had ended up working as belly dancers at a nightclub in Kollupitiya. The local businessman had exploited the group by keeping their passports and employing them as dancers in the club. The group had claimed that the local businessman had paid for their apartment in Dehiwala but had not paid them for their work at the club nor provided them meals. The local man had extended their business visa till December when the first 30 days of their visa expired.
