Crime & Courts

Penang Immigration department detains 35 foreign women in raids

GEORGE TOWN:  Thirty-five foreign women, including several working as guest relations officers in entertainment joints, were detained in separate raids by the Penang Immigration Department today, on suspicion of violating the Immigration Act 1959/63.

The first raid saw the detention of 17 women, aged between 20 and 40 years old, in an entertainment joint here.

Initial investigations revealed that most of these women were working both full-time and part-time in entertainment outlets.

One of the women, a Vietnamese national in her 20s, told authorities that she could earn up to thousands of ringgit in tips in just two weeks.

She also revealed that she had entered Malaysia illegally through a forest path at the northern border.

Another of the woman's colleagues, with years of experience in the trade, claimed to be able to earn a six-figure monthly income from tips alone.

In a separate raid in Bukit Mertajam, another 18 women were arrested for breaching immigration laws.

Meanwhile, state Immigration Department director Nur Zulfa Ibrahim confirmed the arrests and said efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and activities in entertainment venues would remain a priority.

"The women are being held at the Juru Immigration Depot for investigations.

"We will continue to intensify enforcement operations to curb these illegal activities," she added.

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