Immigration Department cripple international prostitution syndicate

Two floors were tightly guarded and also monitored via closed circuit televisions (CCTV).

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Immigration Department has crippled an international prostitution syndicate at a three-star hotel in Jalan Raja Laut in Kuala Lumpur in Ops Gegar on Monday.

Its director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said 28 women, who were from Kazakhstan (six), Vietnam (five), Thailand (four), Indonesia (four), China (three), Mongolia (three), Russia (two) and Turkey (one) were detained in the operation on the fourth and fifth floor of the hotel.

He said five local men, who acted as supervisors and middle men, were also detained.

"The two floors were tightly guarded and also monitored via closed circuit televisions (CCTV) to avoid detection by the authorities," he said in a statement here today.

Mustafar said, cash amounting to RM89,550, suspected to be proceeds from the activities of the foreign women at the location, was also seized.

According to Mustafar, foreign currencies were also found in all the women's rooms, namely, RM64,950 in Malaysian currency, Hong Kong Dollar (HK$66,360), Singapore Dollar (S$42), Indonesian Rupiah (RP2,000), Vietnamese Dong (120,000) and Mongolian Tugrik (140).

He said preliminary investigation found the women had entered Malaysia using Social Visit Passes for 90 days and they were able to earn a lot of money via prostitution at the hotel.

He said seven Form 29 (Witness summons) were issued to employers and customers who were on the premises during the raid to help in investigations.

"Among the offences identified were no identification documents, overstaying and other offences which flouted the Immigration Act," he said.

All the offenders were sent to the Bukit Jalil Detention Depot for investigations and follow up actions, he added. - Bernama