Budget Hotel Used as Prostitution Den Involving Foreign Women

KUALA LUMPUR: Customers only needed to check into a budget hotel before selecting foreign women allegedly offered as companions for sexual services.

The tactics of a syndicate suspected of operating a prostitution centre at a two-storey hotel in Sri Petaling were uncovered during an Ops Gegar raid conducted by the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department yesterday afternoon.

A reporter who accompanied the operation learned that customers did not need to make online reservations and could instead walk directly into the premises.

 

 

However, the syndicate was also believed to have displayed a catalogue of women on social media to attract customers.

According to a detained premises caretaker, customers were charged between RM200 and RM300, depending on the duration of the services, which ranged from 30 minutes to two hours.

“I found this job through Facebook. The advertisement offered a vacancy with a salary of RM3,000.

“Initially, I did not know what the job involved. After the interview, they told me I only needed to manage the counter. I accepted because the salary was quite good.

“Usually, when customers arrive, I show them the women available for selection. Payment for the services goes directly to the women, while I only collect hotel charges of more than RM100 per day from them,” said the man, who is in his early 20s, when met at the scene.

An inspection of the premises found that the two-storey budget hotel was equipped with a security door and closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in several areas.

The rooms, which were filled with clothing, personal belongings and food, also suggested that the women had been staying at the premises for some time.

 

 

The caretaker claimed that the foreign women would typically move to other locations after several weeks in search of areas with more customers.

In a separate raid, a 22-year-old Indonesian woman, who is also a mother of one, was detained in Sri Petaling.

The woman claimed she had only been involved in the activity for two months after arriving in Malaysia with her boyfriend, before their relationship ended.

“I do this work to buy milk for my child. On a good day, I can earn up to RM400, while my monthly income can exceed RM3,000.

“But I do not work every day, and I have only been doing this for two months,” she said.

She claimed that she did not intend to remain in Malaysia for long and planned to return to her home country after saving enough money.

Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department Director Datuk Hamsha Injau said a total of 15 individuals were inspected during two raids conducted around Sri Petaling and Old Klang Road.

Of that number, 13 foreign women and one local man were detained to assist investigations.

“The detained foreign women comprised six Chinese nationals, three Indonesians, two Thai nationals and two Vietnamese nationals.

“A local man was also detained to assist investigations under Section 56(1)(d) of the Immigration Act 1959/63,” he said.

The section concerns the offence of knowingly harbouring individuals who have violated provisions of the Immigration Act.

Hamsha said Ops Gegar, which began at approximately 2.30 pm, involved 22 officers and personnel from the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department’s Enforcement Division.

All those detained remain under investigation and have not been convicted of any offence by a court.

Berita Harian