A SUSPECTED prostitution syndicate operating from a three-star hotel in Jalan Cheras has been uncovered following an early morning enforcement operation by the Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM) Kuala Lumpur.
The raid, conducted at about 1.05am on Saturday following intelligence gathering and surveillance, led to the arrest of eight individuals, including six foreign women believed to have been offering sexual services through arrangements made on social media.
Immigration officers found several scantily dressed foreign women entertaining customers in designated hotel rooms during the operation, while another room was allegedly being used as a waiting area for the women before they received clients.
Investigators believe customers were charged between RM200 and RM230 for the services, with bookings allegedly coordinated by a local man suspected of acting as the syndicate's "captain".
One of the women detained, a 21-year-old Indonesian identified only as Aqis, claimed she had entered Malaysia as a tourist in April after being encouraged by a friend to take up the work.
"My friend told me about this job. Usually I only have one customer a day.
"I receive about RM100 commission for each customer... please, sir, I didn't know. I had already planned to return home," Sinar Harian quoted her saying.
A Malaysian woman working at the hotel's reception admitted she was aware that prostitution activities had been taking place at the premises but declined to comment further.
"I've worked here for a year... yes, they have already been operating here," she said.
Kuala Lumpur Immigration Director Hamsha Injau said those arrested comprised six women and two men.
"Checks found that the women consisted of five Indonesian nationals and one Thai national, while the two men were a Malaysian believed to be acting as the syndicate's 'captain' and a Nepalese national employed at the hotel," he said.
Officers also recovered several condoms from the hotel rooms, believed to have been used in the suspected vice activities.
Hamsha said preliminary investigations found that some of the foreign nationals had overstayed their permitted period of stay or had misused their immigration passes.
He stressed that the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department would continue to take firm enforcement action without compromise against anyone found violating Malaysia's immigration laws. - July 11, 2026
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