JOHOR BARU: Police here have arrested 17 individuals, including 13 women, for allegedly being part of a prostitution syndicate that offers their service through social media.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat said the suspects were arrested on Thursday (Sept 14) during a raid on a hotel in Johor Baru.
“The suspects consist of 13 foreign women, three local men, and one foreign man, all aged between 21 and 49.
“All of them are believed to have been involved in prostitution activities,” he said in a statement here on Saturday (Sept 16).
The police also confiscated 22 mobile phones, 27 condoms, towels, and tissues, two bottles of lubricant, and cash worth RM3,400 and SGD50 (RM171), he added.
The case is being investigated under Section 372A and 372B of the Penal Code for prostitution, Section 6(1)(c) and Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for entering the country without valid travel documents and overstaying.
An investigation is also being conducted under Section 55B of the Immigration Act 1959 for hiring foreign workers without a permit.
