KUALA LUMPUR — A local woman is believed to be the mastermind or ‘mother chicken’ behind an illegal entertainment operation, following two coordinated immigration raids in Kuala Lumpur that resulted in the arrest of 93 individuals, including multiple foreign nationals.
The operations, conducted by the Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM), targeted an entertainment centre on Jalan Kuchai Lama and a shophouse on Jalan Dewan Sultan Sulaiman 1. The raids were led by JIM Director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff.
The first raid at approximately 11.45pm saw the arrest of 21 individuals, comprising a local woman and foreign nationals from Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Bangladesh, and China. Authorities revealed that the entertainment centre offered gratuities up to RM3,000 to customer service girls (GROs) — allegedly foreign nationals — for on-stage performances.
“All foreign suspects were detained under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for not possessing valid passes, and under Regulation 39B for misuse of passes,” said Wan Mohammed Saupee. “Local suspects are being investigated under Section 56(1)(d) of the same Act for harbouring illegal immigrants.”
In a follow-up raid conducted early this morning at a nearby shophouse building, an additional 72 individuals were arrested. The premises, believed to be illegally rented out to undocumented immigrants, charged RM500 per room shared by up to four people.
Authorities believe the location functioned as a hidden lodging facility for illegal workers and entertainment centre staff. Investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of the operation, including potential links to human trafficking and organised crime.
Wan Mohammed Saupee confirmed that all suspects have been taken into custody for further questioning.
The Immigration Department has pledged to continue crackdowns on such illegal activities and urges landlords not to rent properties to undocumented individuals.
