The Immigration Department has detained 152 foreigners following a pre-dawn raid on an alleged prostitution syndicate operating behind a three-star hotel in the popular Changkat entertainment district here.
The operation, carried out at 1.30am on Friday, was a joint effort with the Customs Department and came after public complaints and two weeks of intelligence gathering by the Immigration Department’s enforcement division at its Putrajaya headquarters.
A total of 131 immigration officers of various ranks, together with four customs officers, were deployed to inspect the hotel and a nearby entertainment outlet suspected of involvement in immoral activities.
VVIP packages priced up to RM100,000
Initial investigations revealed that the hotel had become a favoured destination among foreign patrons, particularly Chinese nationals, drawn by a luxury entertainment centre allegedly offering prostitution packages involving foreign women.
The entertainment outlet, believed to have been operating for about three months, was said to be tightly controlled by local bouncers, with entry allegedly restricted to VVIP customers.
Room packages were reportedly priced from RM50,000, with exclusive rooms costing as much as RM100,000 and available for bookings exceeding 24 hours.
The operation covered premises spanning the first to sixth floors of the building. In all, 243 individuals were screened, comprising 194 foreigners and 49 Malaysians.
Detainees from nine countries
Of those screened, 152 foreigners aged between 21 and 32 were detained on suspicion of committing immigration offences. The group comprised 129 Chinese nationals, two Taiwanese, five Vietnamese, five Myanmar citizens, eight Bangladeshis, and one each from Indonesia, Turkiye and Vanuatu.
The department said all detainees are being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963. They have been placed at the Putrajaya Immigration Depot pending further action, and 17 summonses to witnesses were also issued during the operation.
The department noted that when officers moved in, the scene inside was chaotic. “During the raid, several foreigners were found in a dazed state and engrossed in the loud music, unaware of the officers’ presence,” it said in a Facebook post.
