MELAKA: A total of 27 foreigners including seven Thai women allegedly offering sexual services in a premise near Taman Teknologi Cheng, here, were flustered by the presence of Immigration Department officers yesterday evening.
The Op Gegar raid was conducted by 19 officers from the Melaka Immigration Department's enforcement division, after conducting surveillance and receiving information from the public.
Melaka Immigration Department director Anirwan Fauzee Mohd Aini said his team conducted surveillance for two weeks before raiding the premises for the second time yesterday, starting from 4pm to 6.39pm.
The enforcement operations had focused on the premises which had become a "hotspot" for foreign men to engage in sexual services, causing discomfort to the local residents.
"These immoral activities were detected after our officers conducted investigations and surveillance for the past two weeks.
"During the raid, some foreign individuals were caught in the act, unaware of the presence of our enforcement officers, which startled them and they tried to hide naked," he said in a statement today.
Anirwan said preliminary investigations found that the premises offered reflexology massage services, including sexual services, with fees ranging from RM50 to RM100.
"In each room, a timer was found, indicating that the allocated time for each session was only 15 minutes.
"Of the 27 foreigners arrested, seven are Thai women, followed by two Myanmar men, two Nepalese men, and 16 Bangladeshi men.
"Also arrested was a local man aged 28 who acted as the 'captain'. All of those detained are between the ages of 20 and 43," he added.
They were being arrested under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for not having any valid travel documents and Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963 for violating the terms of visit passes or work permits by working illegally.
Commenting further, Anirwan said the authorities also seized several condoms, lubricants, and a record book in the premises, which had been operating for the past year.
"Six writs of summons were issued to the witnesses, including the premises owner and customers, to assist in investigations and for further actions.
"This enforcement operation will be carried out continuously, focusing on 'hotspots' frequented by foreign nationals, with strict measures to be taken against employers who hire and attempt to shelter undocumented foreign workers," he added.
Meanwhile, Anirwan said that the case would be investigated using the National Guidelines on Indicators of Trafficking in Persons (NGHTI) to establish offenses under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (Act 670).