40 arrested in KL prostitution ring raid at 3-storey bungalow, S'porean man to assist in investigations

Forty foreign nationals, including the suspected leader of a prostitution syndicate, were arrested following a raid on a three-storey bungalow in an upscale residential area in Desa Pahlawan, Kuala Lumpur.

According to local news outlet The Star, the operation, which was carried out by the Immigration department's Intelligence and Special Operations division, took place at 12:27am on Feb. 12.

Those arrested were between the ages of 21 and 43.

Suspected leader of the syndicate arrested

The Immigration deputy director-general of Operations Lokman Effendi Ramli said in a statement on Feb. 13 that one of the detainees, a male Chinese national, is believed to be the mastermind behind the syndicate, The Star reported.

The others arrested comprised 11 Chinese men, 19 Chinese women, five Vietnamese women, two Myanmar women and two Japanese women.

Preliminary investigations found that the alleged mastermind and another Chinese man held valid employment passes, Lokman said.

Six Chinese men, 19 Chinese women, two Japanese women and five Vietnamese women were found to be in possession of social visit passes, while the rest did not have valid travel documents or permits to remain in Malaysia.

29 Chinese passports, five Vietnamese passports and two Japanese passports, along with RM26,600 (around S$8,618) in cash believed to be proceeds from the illegal activities, were seized by the authorities.

Two vehicles were also confiscated.

According to Lokman, the bungalow was suspected to have been modified to facilitate vice-related activities and was allegedly chosen to avoid detection by enforcement agencies.

He added that one of the male Chinese nationals nabbed was believed to have acted as a salesman responsible for sourcing clients through online platforms.

The syndicate allegedly targeted both foreign and local clients, charging RM1,000 (around S$324) for 45 minutes and RM3,500 (around S$1,134) for 90 minutes.

"The syndicate is believed to have been active for about six months," said Lokman.

All detainees have since been taken to the Putrajaya Immigration Office for further investigation.

A Singaporean man and a Malaysian man have also been issued notices to appear to assist in investigations, said Lokman.

"We will continue to take firm action against any activities that violate Malaysian laws to ensure the country’s stability and prosperity remain safeguarded," he added.

Top photos from China Press