KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 — Immigration officers today raided a karaoke lounge on Jalan Sultan Ismail in the city which offered “super VIP” rooms reportedly costing up to RM16,000.
The pre-dawn raid, codenamed Op Gegar, began around 2.30am and was carried out by a team of officers and personnel from the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department (JIM) based on information and surveillance, Malay daily Sinar Harian reported today.
It is understood that the VIP rooms were exclusively reserved for regular patrons and came with foreign women as singing and drinking companions, quoted the report.
These karaoke rooms, varying in size, were said to be worth between RM10,000 and RM16,000 per session.
To become a “regular member” of this entertainment centre, visitors were reportedly required to have at least RM100,000 in their bank account before being granted access.
Kuala Lumpur Immigration director, Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff, said that 50 individuals were inspected during the raid.
As a result, 27 undocumented migrants (PATI), including nine women aged between 20 and 43, were detained, he was quoted as saying.
“The detained women are suspected to be guest relations officers (GRO), while the men were employees of the premises,” he said at the operation site on Friday, adding that offences included the absence of valid travel documents and misuse of passes.
All those arrested were taken to the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Office for further action under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963.
