Nine wanted over online prostitution syndicate arrested in Malaysia

Nine individuals suspected of involvement in an online prostitution syndicate were arrested in Malaysia on Tuesday, according to Singapore police. The suspects, comprising five men and four women aged between 29 and 56, were apprehended during joint operations conducted by the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department and the Singapore Police Force under Operation Noda-Rentas Sempadan.

The suspects, arrested in Kuala Lumpur and Johor, are believed to have been operating websites that provided prostitution services to customers in Singapore, using Malaysia as their base.

The arrested individuals included one Malaysian national and eight foreigners, seven of whom were Chinese nationals and the remaining one a Singaporean. It was found that five of the foreign suspects had overstayed in Malaysia. The nine suspects will be handed over to the Singapore Police Force after their identities are verified before a magistrate.

According to Datuk M Kumar, director of Bukit Aman, the syndicate was allegedly active since 2024. The operation also resulted in the arrest of 21 other foreigners, consisting of five men and 16 women aged between 19 and 41. These suspects, comprising 17 Chinese nationals, three Vietnamese nationals, and one Laotian, were suspected of promoting and managing the online prostitution services.

They are currently being investigated under several sections of the Penal Code, Immigration Act 1959/63. The operation underlined the significance of intelligence-sharing and cooperation between the Royal Malaysia Police and the Singapore Police Force in combating cross-border crime.