KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 14 — Three Mongolians have been detained for 21 days as part of a human trafficking investigation after they reported their compatriots’ alleged rape and abduction by a police inspector, according to Malaysiakini.

The trio was in a chat group with the two Mongolian nationals allegedly raped.

A lawyer engaged by the Mongolian consulate here to represent the three women confirmed the interim protection order issued against them at the Petaling Jaya Magistrate’s Court

"We have instructions to (file an application to) set aside the interim protection order. The (Mongolian) Consulate was shocked at what happened to the three women,” Matthew Thomas Philip was quoted as saying.

"Today, we initially thought we were going to the (Magistrate’s) Court because of an interim protection order related to the rape (investigation).

"But suddenly, we were told that the interim protection order was for (police investigation into) human trafficking.

"It was just a case of the three women going to help (the Mongolian rape victims) and suddenly they found themselves under the interim protection order.

"The Mongolian Consulate said the three women need not be under the interim protection order in relation to human trafficking,” he said, adding that police claimed the three women are considered as victims in the human trafficking case.

In the incident from last Friday, the two women alleged that they were stopped at a movement control order checkpoint in Petaling Jaya while on their way home in a car they hired through the e-hailing app Grab.

Upon finding out that the two victims had no valid travel documents on them, the inspector allegedly detained them and brought them to a nearby hotel where he allegedly assaulted them.

The two contacted their compatriots via text message to ask for help to report the incident to the police.

According to Matthew, the police arrived at the scene of the alleged crime and then told the three girls to lodge a police report on April 10, which the women did and left.

The next day they were arrested at their homes, he said.

He added that they felt there was no necessity for protection as they just wanted to go home and the consulate is trying to ensure their safety.

He also lamented the fact that the women’s personal information has been leaked online following the arrest.

"They are more fearful, they came to help the two Mongolian women (rape victims), and then they get put under an interim protection order and then the information on their smartphones were released,” Matthew was quoted saying in Malaysiakini.

"Some photos of them at the police station were circulated on social media. They are asking how that could have happened,” he added.