JOHOR BARU: Johor police have dismantled a suspected prostitution syndicate operating from budget hotels in Bandar Jaya Putera and Taman Abad, with the arrest of 13 foreign women.
The five-hour operation, codenamed Ops Noda, took place on Monday. It also led to the arrest of two men, including one Pakistani national.
The women, aged between 22 and 41, were from Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand, and are suspected of being involved in sex work.
Police also apprehended a 54-year-old man and a 22-year-old Pakistani, both of whom were in charge of the hotel counters and are believed to have managed the women's bookings.
Johor Baru (South) police chief, Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat, said that during the raids, officers seized 36 condoms, lubricants, towels, hotel room access cards, and mobile phones.
Additional items seized included a tablet, staff schedules, a counter worker identification card, a notebook detailing worker codes and shifts, and RM1,720 in cash.
The foreign nationals are also being investigated for other offences, including immigration violations and illegal employment.