Cops detect foreign-owned entertainment outlets in Klang Valley

KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Aman has detected entertainment outlets owned by foreigners following raids at four outlets in Kompleks Wilayah on Sunday (Oct 15).

Bukit Aman CID deputy director Deputy Comm Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa said the outlets offered exotic dances and fully employed foreign workers.

“It has something to do with the entry of foreigners into the country. The managers, workers and as well as most of the customers were Bangladeshi.

“We are taking the matter seriously, where entertainment outlets are fully controlled by foreigners,” he told a press conference at Bukit Aman on Monday (Oct 16).

DCP Rusdi said the police are also investigating further whether there were elements of human trafficking involving 34 women, who worked as GROs at the outlets.

“This matter takes time. We discovered that all of them have valid travel documents but at the same time, we are checking further with the Immigration Department,” he said.

DCP Rusdi said the police have been continuously monitoring and taking action against entertainment outlets that violated laws and regulations.

He said while it was the purview of local authorities to issue licences to such businesses, the police have been active in conducting operations against outlets operators, who have committed offences, including human trafficking and vice activities.

“For example, the four clubs at Kompleks Wilayah raided recently, licensing is under the purview of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) thus City Hall as the licence issuer should have monitored them.

“However, the police are also tasked at ensuring that laws and regulations are followed by everyone, including outlet operators,” he said.

He also believed Dang Wangi police had also inspected and raided the premises previously.

“There are many entertainment outlets and we cannot check all of them at once, thus we do it in stages.

“However, we will raid a specific outlet if we receive specific information,” he said.

It was previously reported that four entertainment outlets offering provocative and striptease performances have been raided by police.

The premises, located at Kompleks Wilayah here, were believed to hire guest relation officers (GROs) to do provocative and strip dances for the mostly Bangladeshi and Pakistani patrons.

Bukit Aman CID’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants division (D3) conducted the raid around 2.50am on Sunday (Oct 15) after receiving information on such activity at the complex, which was said to have been going on for about four months to a year.

Its principal assistant director Senior Asst Comm Fadil Marsus said the main objective of the operation was to see if there were any human trafficking victims based on the National Guideline on Human Trafficking Indicators.

Police checked 79 men, including 71 foreigners who were customers at the raided outlets.

“We also checked 34 women who worked as GROs cum dancers,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Thirty-eight were arrested for violating Immigration rules and regulations, he said, adding that intelligence gathered found the outlets operated from 7pm to 7am.