GEORGE TOWN: Police detained 26 people, including 10 foreign women employed as guest relations officers (GROs), during an integrated operation in the northeast district here on Saturday.
A joint effort between the police and other government departments, the 5.5-hour operation began at 9.30pm with a raid on two entertainment outlets, and the setting-up of roadblocks at several locations in the city.
The 10 GROs – from China, Vietnam and Thailand – were found not to possess work permits and had misused their social visit passes to enter the country.
Two local men who were the owners of the two entertainment outlets were among those detained.
Elsewhere, nine masseurs from China and Thailand who failed to produce valid travel documents were arrested during a raid on three massage centres. Two locals who operated two of the centres were also nabbed.
"Early investigations revealed that the foreigners had been working here for the past several months, and that the outlets had been raided by enforcement units on previous occasions," northeast district police chief Assistant Commissioner Anuar Omar said.
Meanwhile, roadblock checks saw the arrests of three men for drug-related offences; and 31 summonses were issued for traffic-related offences after checks on 292 vehicles.