GEORGETOWN: A total of 15 foreign women working as escorts were detained by the Penang Immigration Department in an entertainment centre here late last night (May 21).
The women aged between 25 and 30 were from Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Most of them had entered the country using social visit passes and temporary work passes.
In the day, they were also employed as office cleaners, restaurant assistants and spa workers.
The raid on the centre in Lebuh Farquhar began at 11.15pm and was led by Immigration senior deputy assistant director Izham Idris.
State Immigration director Nur Zulfa Ibrahim said some of the women claimed that they were not entertaining clients and were only on an outing together with their friends.
"Based on our investigations, they were acting as companions to men who were there for entertainment.
"They are suspected of committing various offences under the Immigration Act 1963, including overstaying, lacking identification documents and misusing their passes."
All the detained women have been taken to the Juru Immigration Depot for further investigation.
