KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 — The Immigration Department has busted a prostitution ring allegedly run by a foreign couple, following raids at Jalan Kuchai Lama and around Jalan Gelugor here on Tuesday.

Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the operation, carried out at 10.50pm, followed public tip-offs and two weeks of intelligence gathering on the syndicate, which is believed to have been operating for the past two months.

He said that, in addition to the Bangladeshi and Thai couple, authorities also detained a local man who was acting as the premises’ caretaker, along with 23 other foreign nationals.

“The foreign nationals detained comprised three men from Myanmar, three Bangladeshi women, 14 Indonesian women, two Vietnamese women and a Myanmar woman, aged between 18 and 35,” he said in a statement today.

Zakaria said checks showed that none of the foreign nationals detained had valid travel documents or passes to stay in the country.

He said officers seized four Bangladeshi passports, a Thai passport, an Indonesian passport, mobile phones, condoms and RM1,215 in cash, which is believed to have been generated from the syndicate’s activities.

“The syndicate operated by using residential and commercial premises to conduct illicit activities involving foreign women as sex workers,” he said.

He said the activities at the residential premises were promoted to customers, particularly Bangladeshi nationals in the Klang Valley, through social media platforms, adding that the foreign couple allegedly controlled the workers’ movements by keeping their passports.

“The foreign couple and local man are being detained under Section 56(1)(d) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, while the other foreign nationals are being detained for allegedly committing offences under Section 6(1)© of the same Act.

“Seven local men were also issued notices to report to the Immigration Department to assist with investigations,” he added. — Bernama