PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department detained 51 foreigners in a special operation conducted at a prostitution centre at Jalan Pasar Baru, Kuala Lumpur on Thursday (May 23).
Immigration director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said those detained included 37 Vietnamese women, three Indonesian women, one Myanmar woman, five Bangladeshi men, two Vietnamese men, and one man each from India, Pakistan and Indonesia, aged between 24 and 54.
Authorities also confiscated 19 Vietnamese passports, two Bangladeshi passports, four bottles of massage oil and condoms.
"All the foreigners were detained for suspected offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63, Immigration Regulations 1966 and Passports Act 1966. They are currently held at the Bukit Jalil Immigration Depot in Kuala Lumpur.
"Five Malaysian men have been issued notices to appear at the immigration office to assist with the investigation," he said in a statement.
Ruslin said the centre’s modus operandi involved offering body massage services and prostitution to both foreigners and locals.
He noted that body massage services were conducted on the ground floor of the premises, while prostitution activities took place on the first floor.
"Customers would select foreign women for services, and payment would be made in rooms on different floors,” he said, adding that the establishment had been operating for approximately 30 years, with charges ranging from RM80 to RM150 per hour.
He said the Immigration Department would continue to take strict action against any quarters found to be violating the Immigration Act 1959/63, Passports Act 1966, Immigration Regulations 1966 and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007. - Bernama
