PUTRAJAYA: 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, Selangor on Wednesday and Thursday (July 24 and 25).
Immigration director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh in a statement today said 10 local men, aged between 27 and 63, believed to have been caretakers of the foreign nationals’ vice dens were also arrested.
He said the foreign women detained comprised 48 Vietnamese, 34 Indonesians and three Bangladeshis.
Additionally, he said, also detained were 18 men from Bangladesh, three Vietnamese and one from Nepali, all aged between 15 and 53.
“The Immigration Department successfully busted two foreign prostitution syndicates in a special operation conducted on July 24 and 25,” he said.
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IMMIGRATION-GRO 2 (LAST) PUTRAJAYA
“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.”
Ruslin said 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.
He said the other foreign nationals who had been arrested did not possess any valid travel documents or passes to be in the country.
According to Ruslin, 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, Perak and Bukit Jalil Immigration Depot 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.
He also said that 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 his party also confiscated one mobile phone unit, one tablet unit, 23 Vietnamese passports, 12 Indonesian passports, five Bangladeshi passports, one Nepali passport as well as cash amounting to RM7,055.
