The minors – a 16-year-old boy and two girls aged 15 and 17 – as well an 18-year-old woman, were allegedly duped into prostitution via the WeChat app.
The suspects consist of a married couple believed to be the pimps as well as a caretaker and a DJ at a suspected illegal entertainment-cum-vice outlet.
Police raided the outlet in Cyber City on Feb 7 for operating beyond the permitted hours, city police chief ACP M Chandra told reporters today.
“The CID team detained the DJ and caretaker and found the girls and young woman who were believed to have been forced to work as guest relation officers and prostitutes,” he said.
“Later the same day, police raided a house in Putatan, near here, and picked up the alleged pimps, a 30-year-old man and his 22-year-old wife.
“The team also found the boy, whose parents are in Sabah, in the house.”
Investigations revealed that the suspected pimps had allegedly offered the victims work at a restaurant in Lahad Datu, on the east coast of Sabah, before eventually forcing them to work in vice.
“All four victims tried to escape but were caught and locked up, with one of them handcuffed, in a house in Tawau,” Chandra said.
He said the female victims had been taken to a shelter in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan, while the boy was sent to a similar facility in Johor.
“Police seized a music system from the outlet and a van suspected to have been used to transport the alleged sex workers,” he said.
The police chief said the case was being investigated under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants as well as Immigration Acts and also the Public Entertainment Ordinance.
“We will also refer the case to the Immigration Department as the victims are undocumented foreigners,” he said, adding that parents should be mindful of their children.
Meanwhile, city police detained 11 people for suspected involvement in supermarket thefts in the district.
The suspects comprised four locals, five undocumented Philippine immigrants and two Pakistanis.
The Pakistanis are believed to have bought the stolen toiletries and cosmetics.
The remaining nine suspects are believed to have been involved in five theft cases with the stolen goods estimated to be worth RM7,000.
A woman, 41, is suspected to be the leader of the syndicate, which included a married couple and their son aged 11.