KUALA LUMPUR: One-hundred-and-seven foreign women, believed to be "grade A" guest relations officers (GROs) were detained during Immigration Department raids on four KTVS in the city last night.
The KTVs, operated from a high-rise office building in Jalan Raja Chulan and were charging their customers, mostly foreign men, rates between RM1,000 to RM20,000 for "VIP treatment".
The outlets, which had different owners, catered only for customers who made reservations for private karaoke rooms which cost between RM4,500 to RM30,000 depending on the size of the rooms and services rendered.
The authorities also found condoms in the karaoke rooms.
Immigration deputy director-general (operations) Jafri Embok Taha said the raid began at 12.45am following two months of surveillance.
"Today we checked 300 people and detained 213 aged between 20 and 60 for various immigration offences," he said after the raid.
Those arrested include 95 men and 109 women.
The men include 12 locals, as well as those from China (79), Cambodia (2) and Hong Kong (2).
The women comprise 107 Chinese nationals and two locals.
KL Immigration director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff was also part of the raiding party.
Jafri said preliminary investigations indicate that the KTVs had been in business for the past five months.
"We believe the women were brought in and out of the KTVs because there are no rooms (living quarters)," he said, adding investigations are ongoing.