JOHOR BARU: Police arrested 13 individuals during a raid on an entertainment centre in Taman Mount Austin for operating without a licence.
Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat stated that the raid was conducted by the D7 Criminal Investigation Department and the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (BSJND) of the Johor Baru South IPD under "Ops Noda" on Jan 4.
The operation, targeting an entertainment outlet in Taman Mount Austin, ran from 8pm to 2am.
"The raid resulted in the arrest of 13 individuals, including a 19-year-old male suspected to be the caretaker of the premises and 12 women from Thailand aged between 22 and 38, believed to be working as hostesses without valid permits," he said in a statement on Sunday (Jan 5).
ACP Raub added that during the operation, police seized several items as evidence, including a ledger book, three business receipts, a laptop, a move light controller, a microphone, and five illuminated wristbands.
Drug screening tests showed that all suspects were drug-free. The teenager was remanded for three days, from Jan 5 to Jan 7.
Meanwhile, the 12 foreign women were remanded for 14 days under the Immigration Act 1959/63 for further investigation.
The case is being investigated under Section 55B of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for employing foreign workers without a permit and Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963 for violating the conditions of a pass or visa.
It is also investigated under Section 6(2) of the Johor Entertainment and Places of Entertainment Enactment for operating an unlicensed entertainment outlet.
The police reiterated their commitment to monitoring and taking stern action against any violations of the law, especially those involving the employment of foreign workers without valid permits and the misuse of unlicensed entertainment premises.
