Immigration Raids Nightclub Offering Foreign GRO, Nabbed 213 Migrants

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- The Immigration Department arrested 213 foreigners who committed various immigration-related offences after raiding a nightclub in a building near Jalan Raja Chulan, here, early this morning.

Immigration Department deputy director-general (Operations) Jafri Embok Taha said 109 women and 104 men were arrested after his team checked 300 individuals including 12 men and two local women in Op Gegar at about 12.45 midnight.

He said the night club was found to provide karaoke rooms starting at a fee of RM4,000 up to the most expensive karaoke room which charges RM30,000, complete with the services of foreign women.

"We raided the nine-floor entertainment centre at the 21-storey building following complaints from members of the public who claimed there were suspected illegal activities at the premises," he told reporters shortly after the operation ended early this morning.

He said this raid was the result of collaboration with Melaka Immigration who brought a total of 30 officers to assist 18 Kuala Lumpur Immigration officers.

It is understood that this premises only offers online booking to customers and does not allowed 'walk in' guests in order to maintain its familiar customers.

Jafri said those detained consisted of 186 Chinese, Cambodian and Hong Kong nationals (two each), one each from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, Myanmar, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Antigua Barbuda and St. Kitts and Devis and the rest are local people, all between the ages of 20 and 60.

He said among the offences committed were misuse of visit passes and not having valid travel documents, and all those arrested were taken to the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Office for further action under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Regulation 39(b). Immigration Regulations 1963.

"The owners of the premises will also be subject to action because they are suspected of harbouring and employing immigrants under Section 55B of the Immigration Act 1959/63," he said.

-- BERNAMA