Immigration Detains 15 Foreigners In Raids On Illegal Beauty Clinics

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 (Bernama) -- The Immigration Department arrested 15 foreigners suspected of abusing their Social Visit Passes (PLS) by working at unlicensed beauty clinics in Bukit Bintang here yesterday.

Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said all of them were detained during an enforcement operation, Ops Dandan, conducted by the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Immigration Department (WPKL) following public complaints and intelligence gathering.

He said 18 individuals were checked during the operation, with 15 foreign nationals arrested, comprising six men and seven women from China, as well as two women from Myanmar.

“They are suspected of carrying out beauty treatments without permission and do not possess valid Temporary Employment Visit Passes,” he said in a statement today.

Zakaria said initial investigations found that the beauty centres, which were operating without a licence from the Ministry of Health, offered facial and body treatments using the services of the foreign nationals involved.

The premises are believed to be owned by a Chinese national who had also abused a social visit pass and had been operating for the past year, earning profits amounting to hundreds of thousands of ringgit.

During the raids, the operation team seized various items including uniforms, mobile phones, laptops, closed-circuit television recordings, business licences and company-related documents.

“All detainees were taken to the WPKL Immigration Office for further investigation under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963, while three local women working at the premises were also issued notices to attend the office to assist in the investigation,” he said.

Zakaria stressed that his department would not compromise and would continue to take firm action to curb any activities that violate the country’s laws.

“The public is also reminded not to shield or assist any party that violates immigration laws and to channel information through the official complaint channels of the Immigration Department in the interest of national sovereignty and security,” he said.

-- BERNAMA