13-year-old among 35 GROs detained in Melaka

A 13-year-old girl was among 35 foreign women who were nabbed by Melaka police at an entertainment centre at Jalan Bandar Hilir on suspicion of illicitly working as guest relations officers.

The 32 Vietnamese and three Indonesian women were busily serving patrons when police busted the premises during an operation which started at 12.30am and ended after more than two hours.

Bukit Aman Vice Prevention chief ASP Shahrulnizam Jaafar said initial investigations found 34 of the women had misused their social visit passes while the Vietnamese teenager was believed to be a victim of human trafficking.

"The women are believed to have entered the country through a prostitution syndicate early last year via land and sea," he told Bernama when contacted here on Tuesday.

He said investigations further revealed customers were required to pay RM150 an hour, and between RM500 and RM600 a night, for sex.

According to him, the one-storey entertainment centre had been operating without a licence for more than five months.

Shahrulnizam said police also detained three local men aged between 25 and 40, believed to be the manager, cashier and DJ at the centre.

A Vietnamese woman in her 30s, believed to be the pimp managed to escape, he added.