A group of local traffickers has been busted after smuggling foreign women disguised as singers or artists into South Korea to help them illegally work at bars and other entertainment facilities, immigration officials said Saturday.

The Seoul Immigration Office said its investigators have cracked down on a ring of seven traffickers accused of helping foreign women disguised as artists or signers obtain E-6 visas from the Seoul government and work as a prostitute or lewd service provider at various facilities nationwide.

The office said that the seven people, whose identities were withheld, had helped a total of 115 foreign women enter South Korea from January 2015 to December 2016 on a fake E-6 visa, which was obtained after the presentation of manipulated videos of music or art performances.

The seven people, along with 12 businesspeople who employed the foreign women at their bars or other entertainment facilities, have been referred to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office for further investigation, it noted. They were all booked without physical detention.

The smugglers pocketed 2.5 million won (US$2,200) per person in return for introducing the foreign women to local bars and entertainment facilities, it added. (Yonhap)