Immigration Department Detains 24 Foreigners In Anti-prostitution Raid

KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 (Bernama) -- The Immigration Department (JIM) detained 24 foreigners suspected of being involved in prostitution activities during "Op Gegar" at a four-story shophouse premise around Kota Raya, Jalan Tun Siew Sin here, yesterday.

Immigration Director-General Datuk Zakaria Shaaban stated that those detained comprised nine Indonesian women, seven women and five men from Bangladesh, as well as one male national each from Nepal, Indonesia, and Myanmar.

He said that a month-long intelligence operation revealed the syndicate was running a prostitution ring targeting both foreign nationals and locals.

"The modus operandi used was offering direct sexual services to customers through the premise caretakers operating on the 3rd and 4th floors of the building, with rates ranging between RM80 and RM120 per 15-minute session," he said in a statement today.

Zakaria added that the women were scheduled to work two shifts: a day shift from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, and a night shift from 8:00 pm to 5:00 am.

He noted that the premises were tightly monitored using closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and guarded by a local man known as "Abang Long Kawasan" while the internal management of the establishment was handled by a foreigner known as the "Captain."

All detained foreigners were taken to the Putrajaya Immigration Depot for further investigation under Section 6(1)(c) and Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, as well as Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963, for offences including possessing no valid travel documents, overstaying, and abusing their passes.

-- BERNAMA