Kuala Lumpur, March 22 (IANS) About 170 Indians have been duped by their employment agents upon arrival in Malaysia, a Tamil newspaper said Monday.

The workers told Malaysia Namban that agents, who had arranged the trip, washed their hands off them after taking their cash and travel documents. The workers hailed from India's Bihar and Maharashtra states.

Sampuran Singh, secretary of the local Jalan Loke Yew Sikh and Hindu Crematorium, said the men had paid the agents between RM10,900 ($3,260) and RM21,800 ($6567) after being promised jobs here.

Malaysia gets a large number of foreign workers, many of whom enter illegally by boats and then spread out to other Southeast Asian countries and Australia.

The government recently complained of 30,000 Indians who arrived as tourists and 'disappeared'.