Malaysian immigration authorities have busted a prostitution syndicate allegedly operating from a three-star hotel along Jalan Cheras, arresting eight people, including six foreign women, during a pre-dawn raid on Saturday.

The operation, conducted by the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department (JIM) at around 1:05am, was launched following intelligence gathering and surveillance by enforcement officers.

During the raid, officers found several foreign women dressed and waiting to receive customers in designated hotel rooms. One of the rooms was believed to have been used as a waiting area until clients were assigned.

Preliminary investigations found that the prostitution services were promoted through social media, with customers charged between RM200 and RM230. Bookings were allegedly coordinated by a local man believed to have acted as the syndicate’s coordinator, or “captain.”

Kuala Lumpur Immigration Director Hamsha Injau said eight people were detained during the operation, comprising six women and two men.

The women included five Indonesian nationals and one Thai national, while the two men were a Malaysian suspected of coordinating the operation and a Nepalese national employed by the hotel.

One of the detainees, a 21-year-old Indonesian woman, told investigators that she had entered Malaysia on a tourist pass in April after being introduced to the job by a friend. She said she typically served one customer a day and received around RM100 in commission for each client, adding that she intended to return to Indonesia.

A local woman working at the hotel’s reception admitted she was aware of the illicit activities at the premises but declined to comment further.

Hamsha said initial investigations found that several of the foreign nationals had committed immigration offences, including overstaying and abusing the conditions of their immigration passes.

He said the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department would continue to take firm action against individuals and syndicates involved in offences under Malaysia’s immigration laws without compromise.