Latest news with #BasriOsman
Barnama
4 days ago
- Barnama
35 Foreign GROs Detained In Immigration Raid On Entertainment Outlet
REGION - NORTHERN > NEWS BUTTERWORTH, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) foiled an attempt by 35 guest relations officers (GROs) to evade detection after uncovering their hiding spot in a concealed room at an entertainment outlet here early this morning. JIM Enforcement Division director Basri Osman said the women, aged between 23 and 45, comprising 19 from Vietnam, 14 from Thailand, and one each from China and Laos, were found crammed into a tight hiding space. He said two male Chinese nationals who were at the premises were also detained, while 73 local men, believed to be customers, were inspected during the operation. bootstrap slideshow 'Checks revealed that the premises had 10 rooms, each with a hidden space behind the sofa and speakers, as well as a secret room in the toilet. 'All access to the premises on the seventh floor, including the lift, had been disabled in an attempt to foil the raid, forcing us to break down the door to gain entry,' he told reporters today. Basri said the premises, which had been operating for over a year, was under tight surveillance with closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, and it was believed that 'tonto' (informants) at the location had alerted the operator to the raid. He said preliminary investigations revealed that the GROs were paid between RM250 and RM300 per hour, and a large sum of cash, believed to be payments made to them, was also discovered at the premises. Basri said the case was being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/1963, and all those detained were taken to the Seberang Jaya Immigration Office for further investigation before being sent to the Jawi Immigration Detention Depot. The operation, which began at 12.30 am and ended at 2.30 am, involved 45 personnel from the Immigration headquarters, as well as officers from Perak and Penang.
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
35 foreign GROs detained in Butterworth immigration raid
BUTTERWORTH: The Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) detained 35 foreign guest relations officers (GROs) during a raid on an entertainment outlet early today. The women, aged between 23 and 45, were found hiding in a concealed room at the premises. JIM Enforcement Division director Basri Osman said the group included 19 Vietnamese, 14 Thais, one Chinese, and one Laotian national. Two male Chinese nationals were also detained during the operation. A total of 73 local men, suspected to be customers, were inspected by authorities. Basri revealed that the outlet had 10 rooms, each with hidden spaces behind sofas and speakers. A secret room was also discovered inside the toilet area. All entry points, including the lift, had been disabled to obstruct the raid. Officers were forced to break down the door to gain access to the seventh-floor premises. The outlet had reportedly been operating for over a year under tight surveillance. CCTV cameras and suspected informants may have alerted the operator about the raid. Investigations showed the GROs were paid between RM250 and RM300 per hour. A large sum of cash, believed to be payments, was seized at the location. The case is being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/1963. All detainees were taken to the Seberang Jaya Immigration Office for further questioning. They will later be transferred to the Jawi Immigration Detention Depot. The operation involved 45 personnel from JIM headquarters and state offices. It began at 12.30 am and concluded at 2.30 am. - Bernama
