Authorities uncovered alleged prostitution activities operating behind the facade of spa and massage outlets during an integrated enforcement operation at Asia City, Kota Kinabalu, on Thursday night.
The operation, known as Ops Sapu, resulted in the detention of 10 Vietnamese women who were suspected of misusing the premises to conduct illegal activities.
The raid, which began at 10pm and ended at 3am, was led by Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) Enforcement Department director Mohd Haniff Abdullah.
Mohd Haniff said five premises and one public area around Asia City were inspected following intelligence and complaints from members of the public regarding alleged prostitution activities being carried out behind spa and massage businesses.
He said some operators had allegedly shut down their businesses earlier after noticing the presence of enforcement officers, while several occupants attempted to hide inside locked rooms to avoid detection.
However, the attempt failed after Fire and Rescue Department personnel assisted in opening the locked premises when occupants refused to cooperate.
A total of 55 individuals were inspected during the operation, with 12 people detained.
Mohd Haniff said 10 Vietnamese women were detained by the Immigration Department for allegedly committing an offence under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for staying in Malaysia after their valid passes had expired.
Three individuals were issued warnings by the Sabah Islamic Affairs Department, while two premises were compounded by the Licensing Department for breaching licence conditions.
Five other premises were found to have carried out building modifications without approval from the relevant authorities.
The operation involved 86 personnel from DBKK, the Immigration Department, Health Department, Licensing Department, National Registration Department, National Anti-Drug Agency, Fire and Rescue Department and Sabah Islamic Affairs Department.
Mohd Haniff said the operation highlighted the strong cooperation between enforcement agencies in tackling prostitution activities allegedly disguised as reflexology businesses.
He added that the operation had been planned for some time and successfully uncovered a syndicate believed to involve foreign nationals from countries including Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines.
“Ops Sapu targeted reflexology outlets that were misused for prostitution activities allegedly controlled by foreign nationals,” he said.
He said similar operations would continue to be conducted to curb illegal activities, misuse of business licences and immigration offences.
Mohd Haniff stressed that coordinated enforcement efforts were important to ensure all business premises in Kota Kinabalu comply with existing rules and regulations.
