Several housemaids who had absconded from their sponsors and others who had entered Qatar illegally have been arrested as part of a drive to book violators of the law that regulates the entry and exit of expatriates, a senior official has said.Among the arrested are also maids who had been working for people other than their sponsors, he said.“The Search and Follow up Department (SFD) is continuing its inspection drive to book violators of the law that regulates the entry and exit of expatriates and to take legal procedures against them in order to end the problem of absconding and illegal workforce.”The SFD director Col Nasser Mohamed al-Sayed said that the drive that started with the co-operation of various authorities concerned last April will continue. “Many offenders who have given shelter to absconding maids and those supplied them on a hourly basis to different employers have also been booked,” said Col al-Sayed. He pointed out that this was a clear violation of residency law no 4/2009. He further indicated that all procedures taken by SFD are in accordance with legal procedures and all those who have been detained will be treated in accordance with the law.Some 613 workers that violated the law have been detained until June 7 in the second phase of the inspection drive that started in the beginning of May . Col al-Sayed has requested the support of the public in this drive. People can contact the hotline no 44469522 to report any violation of the residency law.