The director of an Indonesian recruitment agency responsible for sending workers to the Maxim Birdnest factory in Klang has been charged under the republic's human trafficking laws.

Online portal Tribunnews.com quoted public prosecutor Jaya S who read out the charge against PT Sofia Sukses Sejati director Windi Hiqma Ardian in Semarang, Central Java.

"The suspect promised that the workers would be employed as production operators at PT Kiss Production Food Trading in Malaysia," Jaya was reported as saying yesterday.

The workers, recruited by Windi from their local vocational high schools, were also promised a salary of between RM900 and RM1,000.

It was later discovered that arbitrary deductions were made to their wages to cover supposed recruitment fees and other costs.

According to records from the Companies Commission of Malaysia, the address of Kiss Produce Food Tradings is listed as No 1, Lorong Gudang Nenas 1, Off Jalan Pasar, Klang - sharing the same premise as Maxim.

According to Migrant Care coordinator Nurhasono, Windi also faced a second charge under Indonesia's law on placement and protection of its workers overseas.

"Windy was arrested and detained at the police headquarters in Jakarta before being taken to be charged in Semarang.

"At this point, we are unclear as to where she is being detained," Nurhasono told Malaysiakini.

Nurhasono further said that Migrant Care is providing legal assistance to a number of the 153 rescued workers who were witnesses in Windi's trial.

Among the rescued workers (photo) include Tyas Weningsih Putri and Siti Lestari Sayeti who had first spoken to Malaysiakini last year in March on condition of anonymity for fear of their safety.

Malaysiakini in a special report with Indonesia's Tempo magazine in March last year exposed what was described as a practice of "modern-day slavery" at the swiftlet processing factory.

At the time, the workers met at the factory said they were afraid of the fine that they would have to pay for breaking their two-year recruitment contract with PT Sofia.

According to the contract, any worker who returned to Indonesia before two years would have to pay a fine of up to 11 million rupiahs (around RM3,600).

Last November, the owner of Maxim Birdnest factory was charged with employing 153 foreign workers without valid passes, more than seven months after a multi-agency raid on its premise.

Sources at the time confirmed with Malaysiakini that the factory owner was charged under Section 55B of the Immigration Act 1959/63 at the Magistrate's Court in Sepang.

It is understood that investigations were also carried out under Malaysia's Anti-Trafficking and Smuggling of Persons Act 2007.