KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — A police station head was among 16 individuals detained by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on suspicion of accepting bribes and protecting massage premises around the federal capital.

An MACC source said all the suspects were believed to have accepted bribes from owners of massage parlours and detained in 16 locations around the Klang Valley.

"All of them were detained between 10am and 5pm yesterday following intelligence we carried out for the past three months before MACC managed to uncover the case,”the source told Bernama here.

The source said 40 MACC officers were involved in the raid and of the total of 16 people detained, seven were civil servants while nine others were members of the public.

They were detained on suspicion of protecting the syndicate concerned and accepting bribes, the source added.

The source said among the civil servants detained were from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), Fire and Rescue Department officers and the head of a police station.

"It is learnt that the massage parlour which engaged the services of foreign women had earlier been raided by the Immigration Department last Saturday,”the source said.

Meanwhile, MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner (Operations) Datuk Seri Azam Baki, when contacted, confirmed all the arrests. — Bernama