Illegal massage therapists from Thailand arrested in Malaysia

Malaysian police swooped in to arrest the author of a sex syndicate trafficking Thai massage therapists in and out of Malaysia.

The man was one of 28 people apprehended by the Malaysian Immigration Department as part of a three-day operation from July 21 to 23 around Johor Bahru.

Immigration Director General Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud revealed the 40 year old man was stopped by officers while driving a Proton Saga vehicle with four Thai women in the car.

“All of the women did not possess valid passes and were believed to be on their way home to Thailand through an illegal route. All were arrested along with the mastermind of the syndicate.”

Picture: Immigration Director General Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud

The immigration director general reported that a team raided the house of the chief behind the illegal operation and confiscated several documents related to the sex syndicate’s activities, which supplied foreign masseuses to health spas in Johor Bahru and southern areas of the country.

Khairul Dzaimee added two other successful raids were made on massage centres in Taman Austin, and Taman Abad, in Johor Bahru, which were also involved in illegal activities.

“As a result of the raid on the two premises, we arrested 18 women and three Thai men who worked as masseuses and two local men who were caretakers of the premises. All the 28 individuals arrested in this series of operations are between 20 and 52 years old.

“The modus operandi involves managing the Thai workers’ entry into the country with visitor passes, and their employment at massage centres in and out of the state.

“The syndicate would use contacts in Thailand to influence men and women to come to Malaysia to work.”

The syndicate was charging customers between US$300-US$350 for each masseuse and it is believed each masseuse brought in about US$7,000 profit per month while massage centre owners claimed about US$11,000 a month.

All of those arrested were taken to the Setia Tropika Immigration Office in Johor Bahru for further questioning.

SOURCE: The Star