Police bust Kelantan syndicate offering single mothers as sex workers on MiChat, ten men arrested
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 — A syndicate in Kelantan allegedly offering five women, believed to be single mothers, as sex workers via text messaging app MiChat was busted recently, according to local daily Utusan Malaysia.
The report said the D7 branch of the Kelantan Police Headquarters Contingent Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested nine local men, one Myanmar man and the five purported single mothers during the operation conducted between 3pm to 5pm on Tuesday, at two houses in Kubang Kerian.
The suspects were aged between 22 and 60 years.
State police chief Datuk Shafien Mamat reportedly said investigations found that one of the local men was in charge of managing the syndicate and finding customers through MiChat, a Singapore-based free app.
"This syndicate uses the online name Adik Sayang Abang Sayang through the MiChat application. They also operate 24 hours a day to receive customers,” he was quoted as saying.
Investigations also supposedly found that the men were charged between RM250 and RM300 to have sex with the single mothers, with an additional RM30 to rent a room for the transaction that occurred at the houses in Kubang Kerian.
“Based on the information received, the sex workers will come to the house after the middleman manages the deal with the customer,” he reportedly said.
Shafien was also quoted as saying that police seized a log book with records of room rentals, seven condoms and eight smartphones.
One room key, a bottle of massage oil, and two used condoms were also reportedly seized alongside RM1,917 in cash.
Shafien reportedly said that all the suspects were remanded for seven days starting yesterday until next Tuesday to be investigated under Section 372A of the Penal Code for living on the earnings of trafficking in prostitution and Section 372B of the Penal Code for soliciting prostitution.
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