PUTRAJAYA: Authorities have arrested 39 people during a raid at a swanky entertainment outlet in Solaris Mont Kiara today.
Codenamed Op Gegar, Immigration Department director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said the raid was carried out following reports that there were immoral activities taking place at the premises.
“In the raid, we screened 61 people and as a result, we arrested 39 people – 26 Thai women, five Thai men, four Myanmar men, one Myanmar woman, one Russian woman and two Bangladeshi men.
“They are all believed to be working as dancers, singers, guest relation officers and staff at the entertainment outlet,” said Mustafar in a statement.
Among the activities being carried out at the outlet included bidding for “flower garlands” (bidding for sex services) and catwalk performance (meant to entice customers by parading the women) on stage.
Bidding for “flower garlands” starts between RM100 and RM300, where customers gave the money as tips to the girls of their choice, Mustafar said.
He added the team had also arrested two local men believed to be supervisors of the immoral activities at the entertainment outlet.
“Initial investigations showed that the foreigners entered Malaysia using the 30-day social visit pass to carry out the immoral activities for easy profit.
“Five people have been issued notice to give their statements. They are the outlet’s staff, singers, bodyguards and customers who were present at the premises during the raid,” he said.
The offences committed by those arrested, Mustafar said, included no proper identification documents and overstaying.
He also reminded the public and employers to not harbour illegal immigrants or they will face the full brunt of the law.
Mustafar also urged local authorities to come down hard on such premises by shutting them down, revoking their licences and seizing equipment used for immoral activities.