54 Southeast Asian women arrested in Perak massage parlour raids
The operation, led by the Perak Immigration Department, exposed a network of premises believed to be involved in illicit activities, all while posing as centres for massage therapy.
The state Immigration Department director Datuk James Lee said the enforcement action was carried out following two weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering.
A total of 91 officers from the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Immigration Departments took part in the raids.
"Our focus was to clamp down on immoral activities, particularly those operating under the pretext of massage services," Lee said.
Among those detained were 48 women from Thailand, two from Indonesia, and four from Vietnam, aged between 20 and 35.
Lee said the women had entered Malaysia on social visit passes but were found to be working illegally, in violation of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963.
"These individuals clearly misused their visit passes to engage in illegal employment, in this case, providing immoral services," he said.
He added that initial investigations revealed the services were being promoted on social media platforms such as TikTok and WhatsApp, where potential customers could view offers and arrange appointments either at the parlours or at private residences.
The illicit services were typically priced between RM50 and RM100, Lee said.
Local customers were found on-site during the raids and were served with a notice to appear at the immigration office for further investigation.
The owners and operators of the implicated premises will also be summoned for questioning, authorities confirmed.
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