JOHOR BAHRU, Jan 15 — Johor police arrested 74 foreign hostesses suspected of working without valid permits in a raid on an entertainment centre in Stulang Laut here, yesterday.

State police chief Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat said the hostesses aged between 22 and 45 years old are from Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.

"Three other individuals, a local male identified as the entertainment centre manager, a local woman serving as a cashier and a local male customer wanted under Section 420 of the Penal Code were also detained,” he said in a statement today.

The case is being investigated under Section 11(2) of the Johor Entertainment and Places of Entertainment Enactment, Rule 39b of the Immigration Regulations 1963, as well as Sections 55B, 6(1)© and 15(1)© of the Immigration Act 1969/63.

Meanwhile, Kamarul Zaman said from January to December last year, Johor police conducted 602 raids on entertainment centre premises.

"Throughout these raids, a total of 1,733 individuals were arrested, comprising 514 local males, 102 local females, 143 foreign males and 974 foreign females.

"The total seizures amounted to RM104,445, with fines imposed on 598 entertainment premises for offences such as operating without a licence and violating operational conditions,” he said. — Bernama