Staff Correspondent

Immigration authorities in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur have detained 23 foreign nationals involved in a prostitution ring.

Official statements indicate the syndicate specifically targeted “Bangladeshi customers” to run its operations.

According to a report published on Thursday by the Malaysian outlet The Sun, the sex trade was conducted primarily via social media platforms targeting Bangladeshi clients.

Customers were charged up to RM400 per session.

Malaysian Immigration Director-General Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the operation was executed by officers around 10:50pm on Tuesday following public tips and two weeks of active intelligence gathering.

Raids were conducted at a residential property on Jalan Kuchai Lama and a commercial venue near Jalan Gelugor, he added.

"The residential premises were promoted through social media to customers, particularly Bangladeshis residing in the Klang Valley," Zakaria said in a statement.

He noted that the operation was believed to have been running behind closed doors for around two months to evade law enforcement.

Those detained include three Myanmar men and 20 foreign women aged between 18 and 35. The women consist of 14 Indonesians, three Bangladeshis, two Vietnamese, and one Myanmar national.

Initial checks revealed that none of the detainees possessed valid travel documents or passes to remain in the country.

A Bangladeshi man and a Thai woman, identified as the suspected masterminds, allegedly controlled the workers' movements by withholding their passports.

A Malaysian man was also detained for allegedly acting as a "captain" guarding the commercial premises.