The Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia (JIM) launched a major raid on a luxury karaoke entertainment centre operating inside a hotel along Jalan Changkat, Bukit Bintang, early this morning.
The operation, carried out by the Enforcement Division of JIM Putrajaya, resulted in the detention of hundreds of foreign nationals, mostly from China, who were allegedly found partying inside the premises.
During inspections conducted at the first and fifth floors of the entertainment outlet, enforcement officers also reportedly discovered ketamine and drug-taking equipment inside all eight luxury karaoke rooms located on the fifth floor.
The rooms were allegedly occupied by groups of Chinese men together with foreign guest relations officers (GROs) from countries including Vietnam, China and Thailand.
Authorities believe drug use was openly taking place inside the premises, with patrons allegedly behaving as though such activities were permitted under local laws.
However, despite the discovery of suspected narcotics, arrests made during the operation were reportedly carried out under immigration-related offences due to the absence of officers from the Royal Malaysia Police and the National Anti-Drugs Agency during the raid.
JIM Putrajaya revealed that intelligence operations on the premises had been ongoing for the past two weeks following information received regarding an allegedly “untouchable” KTV outlet in Bukit Bintang.
Authorities said the entertainment centre had reportedly been operating since early this year and was believed to be heavily frequented by foreign nationals suspected of committing various immigration offences.
According to JIM, the premises were tightly guarded at the hotel lobby entrance and surrounding areas while also being monitored through extensive CCTV surveillance systems to detect possible raids by enforcement authorities.
To prevent suspects from escaping, immigration officers were strategically positioned around the building before the raid commenced at around 1am.
Officials described the operation as the first enforcement raid conducted by JIM Putrajaya at the location.
Preliminary investigations also suggested that only foreigners were allowed to enter and patronise the entertainment outlet. Authorities believe many of them entered Malaysia using temporary work permits or other passes.
Some individuals were allegedly registered as tourists, university students or even domestic helpers but were instead working as GROs at the premises.
JIM further stated that authorities could not rule out possible abuse of permits by foreign nationals linked to organised scam syndicates, including suspected Macau Scam operations connected to commercial crimes.
For now, the detained foreigners remain under investigation as JIM continues compiling detailed arrest records and intelligence findings before releasing further information to the media.
