171 arrested in raid on Malaysian 'men only' spa released from police detention

171 Malaysian men arrested during a raid on a "men only" wellness centre in Kuala Lumpur were released from police detention after a magistrate rejected a late remand bid. 

Speaking to Malaysian media at a Kampung Sungai Baru groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday (Nov 30), Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus said that the remand bids were rejected on the grounds that they were submitted late. 

The delay was due to the large number of arrests, he said, explaining that the each detainee had to be processed and classified separately. 

"The sheer number of arrests meant the processing took time, and the remand application was filed late," he said. 

Of the 202 people arrested during the raid on Friday, only 31 foreigners were remanded for two days. 

According to Fadil, those without identification documents are being investigated under the Immigration Act. 

He also said that all the detainees were initially investigated under Sections 377 and 372 of the Penal Code. 

"We cannot charge any of the detainees because, for offences involving exploitation, prostitution, or unnatural sex, there must be a victim. None of the detainees claimed to be victims, and without that, the case cannot move forward," he added. 

19-year-old among those arrested

The wellness centre in Chow Kit was raided on Friday at around 8pm, according to Malaysian media. 

The joint enforcement operation involved the Kuala Lumpur police, Kuala Lumpur City Hall and the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department, and was carried out following two weeks of intelligence and surveillance. 

The spa was allegedly used as a meeting place for men to engage in immoral acts and was believed to have been running for the past eight months, said Kuala Lumpur deputy police chief Mohd Azani Omar. 

Patrons were charged a RM10 (S$3.14) lifetime registration fee and RM35 per visit, reported The Star. 

The men who were arrested were aged between 19 and 60. 

The 19-year-old had been found with a 46-year-old man at the time of arrest. 

He said that he had learnt about the spa from a friend, and decided to visit after reading positive reviews online. 

Of the men arrested, 17 were also identified as civil servants.

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dana.leong@asiaone.com