Some 39 people were arrested and dozens more taken for drug tests after an illegal entertainment outlet, just two kilometers from a police station in Selangor, was raided by Malaysian authorities in the early hours of Sunday.
When officers from the Selangor Anti-Vice, Gaming and Secret Societies Division (D7) arrived at the karaoke outlet in the USJ19 area of Subang Jaya they found 29 women from China, Thailand and Vietnam who worked as “guest relations officers”, plus five local and five male Bangladeshi staff. All were arrested, the China Press reported.
Another 70 customers, who reportedly had impaired consciousness, were taken to the station for urine tests to see if they had taken illicit substances.
The karaoke outlet, they said, was found to have secret wardrobes, chambers and passages, all of which appeared to have been created so guests or staff could run away if police raided the bar.
Police said the premises’ license had expired in 2017. Receipts, audio equipment and cash were seized as evidence.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that each woman was paid at least 140 ringgit, and it cost 400 ringgit (US$98) for a designated woman to serve customers for a whole night. Sexual services were allegedly possible when both parties consented.
It was estimated that daily revenue in the bar exceeded 50,000 ringgit (US$12,247).
At the time of the report, the Selangor police were investigating whether drugs were sold or supplied at the bar.