Police have seized a further RM1.45 million (US$350,000) in cold hard cash from a Kota Kinabalu prostitution syndicate after apprehending one of their ringleaders yesterday, a Malaysian woman in her 40s.
The sting, dubbed Ops Gegar, has netted law enforcement officials over RM14 million (US$3.4 million) in illicit funds, and the recent haul came after police forced open a safe at the hotel the group used for their activities. Although the woman claimed she could not remember the combination (LOL), police were able to call in an expert to crack the code. Three others, a Filipino and two Malaysians, have also been arrested.
Kota Kinabalu police report that the syndicate had been using a city hotel to run their illicit activities, leasing out the spa for their prostitution ring. Cops claim that they received a tip-off regarding the brothel, which had been in operation since 1999, a month ago.
Interesting. Pre-Y2K bordello goes under the radar for 18 years without arising any suspicion. Hm. Hmm. Hmmm.
The operation also led to the discovery of 17 trafficked women, who police believe have been forced into prostitution by the syndicate. They had been living on-site when police raided the premises.
The case is now being investigated for human trafficking, as well as money laundering and unlawful activities.
