[UPDATED] 10 underage victims rescued from sex trafficking syndicate operating out of spa

New Straits Times

03-05-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: Ten underage victims were rescued during a raid on a sex trafficking syndicate operating under the guise of a spa and massage parlour in Johor Baru.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the operation was carried out yesterday following public complaints and intelligence gathered by the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Money Laundering (Atipsom and Amla) Division at its Putrajaya headquarters.
He said a total of 71 individuals were detained in the raid, which took place at 3.15pm and involved 58 officers from various units, including the enforcement division, intelligence and special operations division, as well as the Johor and Negri Sembilan state immigration departments.
"Checks at the premises led to the arrest of 37 Vietnamese women and 16 Indonesian women, aged between 18 and 40, believed to be involved in prostitution.
"The services were discreetly advertised to select customers via WeChat and WhatsApp, with rates ranging between RM200 and RM300 per hour," he said in a statement.
Zakaria also said that 11 foreign men - from Indonesia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh - believed to be working as cleaners, were detained, along with seven local men suspected of acting as caretakers, 'captains', or owners of the spa.
"Some of the women were found entertaining local and foreign clients during the raid, while others were discovered hiding in a concealed room built into the premises, believed to have been used to evade detection.
"Cash totalling RM128,464, suspected to be proceeds from the illegal activities, was also seized during the operation," he said.
He added that preliminary investigations using the National Guideline on Human Trafficking Indicators (NGHTI 2.0) identified 10 underage foreign women, four Indonesians and six Vietnamese, as victims of sexual exploitation.
"These victims were allegedly misled with false job offers, denied wages, had their movements restricted, and their passports confiscated.
"As such, the case is being investigated under the Atipsom Act 2007, with the rescued victims placed in protective shelters pending further action," he said.
Zakaria said the remaining foreign nationals have been sent to immigration detention depots and are being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63, the Passport Act 1966, and the Immigration Regulations 1963.
"The local men suspected of managing the premises are also being investigated under Section 12 of the Atipsom Act, Section 12(1)(f) of the Passport Act, and Section 55B of the Immigration Act," he added.