KUALA LUMPUR: Massage parlours and hair salons in Johor Baru that raked in a combined monthly haul of RM4.2mil have been raided by Immigration officers.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said his teams raided seven locations in the city on Sunday (Jan 7).
"We detained 68 individuals aged between 19 and 51, including 40 foreign women.
"Those detained were 34 Myanmar nationals, 17 from Myanmar, 14 from Indonesia, one each from the Philippines and Pakistan, and one local.
"The local and one Vietnamese woman were believed to be the caretakers of the premises," he said in a statement on Tuesday (Jan 9).
Initial checks found that the foreigners detained were misusing social visit passes and temporary work permits (PLKS) while some did not have proper documents, he added.
"The operation codenamed Ops Gegar/Ops Dandan also led to various items seized including six Vietnamese passports, RM844 cash and seven sets of massage appliances.
"The premises have been operating for more than a year and could make about RM140,000 a day or RM4.2mil a month.
"The foreigners working there are paid between RM1,500 and RM2,000 a month," he said.
Ruslin said the department will not hesitate to take action against any individuals abusing their passes.
"We will also go after employers who employ foreigners without valid travel documents or passes," he added.
