Immigration Busts Prostitution Syndicate, 89 Held Including Locals

PUTRAJAYA, July 11 (Bernama) -- A total of 89 individuals, including locals, were detained during a crackdown on a suspected prostitution syndicate by the Immigration Department (JIM) across three Klang Valley locations on July 9.

Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said ‘Op Gegar’ involved simultaneous raids in Kuchai, Sri Petaling and Cheras, targeting premises suspected of harbouring foreign sex workers.

In the first raid at 3 pm, enforcement officers arrested 26 foreign women namely 11 from Vietnam, eight from Indonesia, six from Thailand and one from Myanmar, believed to be offering sexual services. Two men from Bangladesh and Pakistan, as well as four local men acting as ‘guardians’ of the premises, were also detained.

“These operations were disguised as budget hotels and offering sex services from RM160 to RM480,” Zakaria said, adding that the syndicate used websites to promote services, with transactions arranged via WhatsApp and Telegram.

At around 10.55 pm the same day, a second operation was launched at an entertainment centre allegedly employing foreign guest relations officers (GROs). Of 96 individuals screened, 61 were arrested, including 44 Thai women, four Laotians, and two women each from Vietnam and Myanmar.

Also detained were five Bangladeshi men and four Thai men suspected of working at the venue, while seven local individuals were issued notices to report to the Immigration headquarters to assist in investigations.

All detainees were transferred to the Putrajaya Immigration Depot for further investigation under Section 51(5)(b) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, the Immigration Regulations 1963 and the Passport Act 1966.

-- BERNAMA