SUNGAI PETANI: The state Immigration Department rounded up 10 Thai women and a local man in three separate raids at reflexology centres here last night.
State Immigration director Mohamad Yusri Hashim said the raids, under Ops Ikrar, were carried out at 8.27pm involving 22 officers, led by his deputy, Nar Azaman Ibrahim.
Checks were carried out on 14 people of various nationalities, including locals, Yusri said.
"In the first raid at the PEK Reflexology Centre in Taman Angsana, we arrested two women, while five women were nabbed in the second location in Taman Mutiara Indah.
"In the third location, at a house in Taman Sejati Indah, four people were picked up, of which three are Thai women and one local man," he said, adding that they are aged between 21 and 56.
Yusri said initial investigations showed all the foreigners were detained for violating their social visit passes, under Section 39(b) of the Immigration Rules 1963, while the local man who was found harbouring illegal immigrants will be probed under Section 56(1)(d) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963.
The foreigners arrested were believed to have been carrying out immoral activities and were working under the guise of offering reflexology and traditional massage services.
Yusri added they were currently being held at the immigration lockup at the Home Ministry building in Alor Star for investigations and further action before being taken to the Belantik Immigration Detention Depot in Sik.