PUTRAJAYA, July 27 — A total of 117 individuals including 85 foreign women working as guest relations officers (GROs) were detained by the Immigration Department in a special operation carried out on seven locations in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, and Seri Kembangan in Selangor on Wednesday and Thursday (July 24 and July 25).
Immigration director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said 10 local men, aged between 27 and 63, believed to have been caretakers of the foreign nationals’ vice dens, were also arrested.
The foreign women detained comprised 48 Vietnamese, 34 Indonesians, and three Bangladeshis.
Also detained were 18 men from Bangladesh, three Vietnamese, and a Nepali, aged between 15 and 53.
“The Immigration Department successfully busted two foreign prostitution syndicates in a special operation conducted on July 24 and July 25
“The operation involved officers and members of various ranks from the Intelligence and Special Operations Division, in collaboration with the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants 2007 (ATIPSOM) and Anti-Money Laundering (AMLA) Enforcement Division, the Putrajaya Immigration headquarters and Perak Immigration Department,” he said in a statement today.
Ruslin said the results of the initial review found that the nine Vietnamese women, seven Indonesian women, two Bangladeshi men, and one Nepalese man who were arrested had valid passes, whereas 14 Vietnamese women, five Indonesian women, and three Bangladeshi men had overstayed in the country.
The other foreign nationals who had been arrested did not possess valid travel documents or passes to enter the country.
All the foreigners were detained because they were suspected of having committed offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63, Passport Act 1966 and Immigration Regulations 1963.
“They were detained at the Lenggeng Immigration Depot in Perak and at the Bukit Jalil Immigration Depot (in Kuala Lumpur) for further investigation. Meanwhile, the 10 Malaysian men were arrested under Section 56(1)(d) and Section 55E of the Immigration Act 1959/63,” he said.
All the Malaysian men and two Bangladeshi men had been given notices to appear at the Immigration office to assist with the investigation.
Ruslin said the department also confiscated one mobile phone unit, one tablet unit, 23 Vietnamese passports, 12 Indonesian passports, five Bangladeshi passports, and one Nepali passport, as well as RM7,055 in cash.
— Bernama
