57 ditahan, aktiviti pelacuran kaut RM540,000 tumpas

Jabatan Imigresen (JIM) in Malaysia has cracked down on a human trafficking operation that netted an estimated RM540,000 annually over the course of about a year. The operation, believed to be structured, involved 57 individuals ranging in age from 19 to 65 years, including seven local men. The enforcement team arrested three men from Indonesia, 12 from Bangladesh, three from Myanmar, 26 Indonesian women, five Bangladeshi women, and one Indian woman during raids carried out around Seremban late last night.

The arrests came after probing the operation's modus operandi, which involved placing foreign women in rented accommodations or budget hotels for a daily or weekly period. These premises were reportedly managed and monitored by local residents and foreign accomplices who acted as captains or managers, according to the JIM statement. Each foreign woman allegedly offered sexual services for a fee of RM50 to clientele comprising both foreigners and locals.

The investigation uncovered various passports from Bangladesh, India and Indonesia, as well as mobile phones, keys to the premises and condoms at the sites. Seven local men were detained under Section 56(1)(d) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for allegedly committing an offense, while the foreign nationals were arrested under Sections 6(1)(c) and 15(1)(c) of the same Act, along with Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963.

The operation was carried out by the Special Operations and Enforcement Department at JIM headquarters in Putrajaya, in collaboration with the Indonesian Consulate in Kuala Lumpur, based on initial information regarding Indonesian nationals involved in immoral activities and the risks involved.