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New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
13 Asian nationals detained over illegal homestay rental syndicate
KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department detained 13 Asian nationals during a raid on a syndicate running unauthorised homestay rentals at two locations in the city, near Jalan Ipoh and Jalan Sultan Ismail. The operation, carried out by the Intelligence and Special Operations Division on Tuesday, followed two weeks of surveillance and public tip-offs regarding suspicious activities involving foreigners. Immigration deputy director-general (management) Ismail Mokhtar said those arrested comprised nine Bangladeshi men and one Bangladeshi woman, an Indonesian man, an Indian woman, and a Filipino woman, aged between 24 and 40. "Investigations revealed they had been running an online homestay rental business for over a year by leasing residential units from local owners and re-renting them to customers via digital platforms. The rental rates offered ranged from RM80 to RM400 per night, depending on the room size and location," he said in a statement yesterday. Six of those detained held Temporary Employment Visit Passes for work in the construction and cleaning sectors, while the rest did not have valid travel documents or passes. Items seized during the raid included copies of rental agreements, passports, 48 building access cards, a laptop, three mobile phones, guest information forms, and cash totalling RM74,000 and US$2,160. All suspects are currently being held at the Immigration Headquarters in Putrajaya for further investigation.
New Straits Times
21-05-2025
- New Straits Times
'Dr Maleeq' and 5 others arrested in raid on illegal clinics
KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department has uncovered an illegal medical operation allegedly run by a Pakistani man, known as "Dr Maleeq", following raids on three premises across the Klang Valley on Sunday night. The raids, which began at 11.20pm, were conducted at two locations in Shah Alam and Sungai Buloh, Selangor, and another at Jalan Ipoh, here. Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the operation was carried out by the department's Intelligence and Special Operations Division in Putrajaya, following a two-week surveillance triggered by public tip-offs. "Six individuals aged between 23 and 57 were arrested, including the Pakistani man known as Dr Maleeq. "We also detained three Myanmar women employed as clinic assistants, along with a Pakistani woman and an Indian woman," he said in a statement today. Zakaria said checks revealed that the man, who posed as a medical practitioner, had overstayed his visa in Malaysia. "Two of the Myanmar nationals were found to be misusing their Temporary Employment Visit Passes and possessing United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards. "The remaining three women did not have any valid travel documents or permits," he added. Among the items seized during the operation were patient record books, clinic stamps, passports belonging to individuals from Pakistan, India, and Myanmar, medical equipment, sick leave certificates, mobile phones used by the clinic, and medical uniforms. Investigations revealed that the clinic had been operating for about a year, only opened at night, and charged RM90 per foreign patient, with payments made via online transfers. All six suspects are being held at the KLIA Immigration Depot and are being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963. Zakaria said that a local man and a Filipino woman were issued notices to assist in the ongoing investigation.
Malay Mail
06-05-2025
- Malay Mail
Immigration dept busts sex trafficking rings in KL and Selangor, arrests 16 individuals
PUTRAJAYA, May 6 — The Immigration Department (JIM) detained 16 people, including two local men, in a special operation at two separate locations yesterday, for allegedly being involved in offering prostitution services involving foreign women. JIM deputy director-general (management) Ismail Mokhtar said all the individuals, aged between 19 and 61, were detained around Pandan Perdana in Kuala Lumpur and Seri Kembangan in Selangor. 'The modus operandi used involved offering prostitution services by foreign women by advertising their services on social media to attract customers. 'Customers between RM250 and RM1,200 per session, with payment transactions conducted either in cash or online,' he said in a statement today. He added that the operation began at 7.15 pm, involving a team of personnel from the Intelligence and Special Operations Division of the Immigration Department Headquarters in Putrajaya. Acting on public information and intelligence gathered over two weeks, the team was deployed to stake out business and residential premises and successfully apprehended two Malaysian men believed to be caretakers of the premises. 'Also detained were two Vietnamese men, seven Vietnamese women, four Indonesian women and one Laotian woman,' he said. Ismail said initial checks found that one Vietnamese woman and one Laotian woman possessed valid Social Visit Passes; two Vietnamese men had overstayed, while the other foreign nationals did not possess any valid travel documents or passes for staying in the country. He added that the team also seized 19 mobile phones, five Vietnamese passports, one Laotian passport, a work record book and a business transaction ledger. All the detained foreign nationals, suspected of violating the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963, were taken to the Putrajaya Immigration Depot. — Bernama
Malay Mail
06-05-2025
- Malay Mail
Immigration dept busts prostitution rings in KL and Selangor, arrests 16 individuals
PUTRAJAYA, May 6 — The Immigration Department (JIM) detained 16 people, including two local men, in a special operation at two separate locations yesterday, for allegedly being involved in offering prostitution services involving foreign women. JIM deputy director-general (management) Ismail Mokhtar said all the individuals, aged between 19 and 61, were detained around Pandan Perdana in Kuala Lumpur and Seri Kembangan in Selangor. 'The modus operandi used involved offering prostitution services by foreign women by advertising their services on social media to attract customers. 'Customers between RM250 and RM1,200 per session, with payment transactions conducted either in cash or online,' he said in a statement today. He added that the operation began at 7.15 pm, involving a team of personnel from the Intelligence and Special Operations Division of the Immigration Department Headquarters in Putrajaya. Acting on public information and intelligence gathered over two weeks, the team was deployed to stake out business and residential premises and successfully apprehended two Malaysian men believed to be caretakers of the premises. 'Also detained were two Vietnamese men, seven Vietnamese women, four Indonesian women and one Laotian woman,' he said. Ismail said initial checks found that one Vietnamese woman and one Laotian woman possessed valid Social Visit Passes; two Vietnamese men had overstayed, while the other foreign nationals did not possess any valid travel documents or passes for staying in the country. He added that the team also seized 19 mobile phones, five Vietnamese passports, one Laotian passport, a work record book and a business transaction ledger. All the detained foreign nationals, suspected of violating the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963, were taken to the Putrajaya Immigration Depot. — Bernama
The Sun
05-05-2025
- The Sun
16 held in KL, Selangor for alleged prostitution
PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department (JIM) detained 16 people, including two local men, in a special operation at two separate locations on Sunday (May 4), for allegedly being involved in offering prostitution services involving foreign women. JIM deputy director-general (management) Ismail Mokhtar said all the individuals, aged between 19 and 61, were detained around Pandan Perdana in Kuala Lumpur and Seri Kembangan in Selangor. 'The modus operandi used involved offering prostitution services by foreign women by advertising their services on social media to attract customers. 'Customers between RM250 and RM1,200 per session, with payment transactions conducted either in cash or online,' he said in a statement today. He added that the operation began at 7.15 pm, involving a team of personnel from the Intelligence and Special Operations Division of the Immigration Department Headquarters in Putrajaya. Acting on public information and intelligence gathered over two weeks, the team was deployed to stake out business and residential premises and successfully apprehended two Malaysian men believed to be caretakers of the premises. 'Also detained were two Vietnamese men, seven Vietnamese women, four Indonesian women and one Laotian woman,' he said. Ismail said initial checks found that one Vietnamese woman and one Laotian woman possessed valid Social Visit Passes; two Vietnamese men had overstayed, while the other foreign nationals did not possess any valid travel documents or passes for staying in the country. He added that the team also seized 19 mobile phones, five Vietnamese passports, one Laotian passport, a work record book and a business transaction ledger. All the detained foreign nationals, suspected of violating the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963, were taken to the Putrajaya Immigration Depot.
