KUALA LUMPUR: Dozens of foreign women working as guest relations officers (GRO) at a night club in Kepong Baru, here, went running when the Immigration Department came knocking at the establishment last night.
As soon as enforcement officers rushed the building, the women, who were all dolled up, ran in every direction to avoid capture.
Some of them resorted to hiding behind stairwells and inside storerooms, while two others also locked themselves in a back room in the building and hid under a rack hoping they would not be discovered.
Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff said a team of enforcement officers raided the premises about 11pm.
"Based on a tip-off, we conducted two weeks' surveillance before raiding this outlet.
"We checked a total of 80 people which led to the detention of 35 foreigners," he said when met at the scene.
He said those detained comprised women from Thailand (19), Vietnam (seven) and Myanmar (two).
Also detained were seven foreign men who were working illegally at the night club, he added.
"We believe these women worked as GROs here. We also detained six Bangladeshi men and an Indonesian man during the raid," he said.
He added that among the offences detected included sheltering illegal immigrants, not having valid documents, overstaying and failing to adhere to the terms of a permit.
Wan Saupee said, during the operation, they also found several sashes at the scene believed to be used for tipping the GROs.
He added that they also found tokens there of various denominations which are believed to also be used to tip the GROs.
He said each sash, like each token, signified different amounts for the tips.
"All those detained will be brought to the Bukit Jalil Immigration Detention Depot for further action.
"We also detained five Malaysian men and three Malaysian women during the operations who were believed to be the caretakers of the premises or the 'mummies' who managed the GROs working here," he said.
Wan Saupee warned the public against hiring or sheltering illegal immigrants or they would face action.