Immigration deputy director-general (management) Ismail Mokhtar said the 16, aged between 19 and 61, were detained around Pandan Perdana in Kuala Lumpur and Seri Kembangan in Selangor.

Ismail said the services were advertised by the foreign women through social media.

Their customers paid between RM250 and RM1,200 per session, with the transactions conducted either in cash or online, Bernama reported him as saying.

He said those arrested included two Malaysian men believed to be caretakers of the premises.

Also detained were two Vietnamese men, seven Vietnamese women, four Indonesian women and one Laotian woman.

Initial checks found that one Vietnamese woman and the Laotian  possessed valid social visit passes.

Two Vietnamese men had overstayed, while the other foreign nationals did not possess any valid travel documents or passes.