184 held in anti-vice raids in Johor

JOHOR BAHRU: Police arrested 184 individuals for various offences, in the operations under Op Noda Khas and Op Hibur, which were carried out simultaneously statewide, from midnight last night until early Sunday morning.

Johor police chief CP M Kumar said that the operations, which started at midnight until 5 am, involved 23 senior officers and 114 personnel from the state Criminal Investigation Department and Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department.

He said that those detained consisted of 152 women and 32 men, aged between 21 and 64. Of the total, 162 are foreigners, and 22 are locals, one being on the police wanted list.

“The raids targetted premises suspected of carrying out unlicensed entertainment activities, providing foreign maid services and drug abuse. “We also seized various entertainment equipment such as DVD players, amplifiers, laptops, speakers, microphones and cash, believed to be business proceeds, for investigation purposes,” he said in a statement yesterday.

According to Kumar, all 22 locals arrested will be remanded under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code, while the 162 foreign nationals will be remanded under the Immigration Act 1959/63.

“The case is being investigated under Section 6 (2) and Section 11 (2) of the Johor Entertainment and Places of Entertainment Enactment 1998.

“Also under Section 39 (b) of the Immigration Regulations, Section 6 (1) (c), Section 15 (1) (c) and Section 55B of the Immigration Act 1969/63, as well as Section 420 of the Penal Code,” he said.