Customers, pimps, and caretakers of hotels and massage parlours - 215 of them to be exact- were arrested in a major crackdown on vice operations in Penang over the past three months.

And in the process, police rescued 92 foreign women aged between 17 and 35.

It was a familiar story with the women being promised lucrative jobs and ending up in the clutches of pimps.

State police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Wira Ayub Yaakob said the women - from China, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam - were forced to provide sexual services at budget hotels and massage parlours.

DCP Ayub said some of the culprits had since been charged in court under the new Anti-Human Trafficking Act 2007.

He expressed surprise that most of the entertainment outlets, hair saloons and massage parlours inspected during the crackdown were providing sexual or illicit services.

He said other offences committed by them were operating beyond the stipulated time and allowing their patrons to consume drugs in the outlets.

"We issued 17 summonses to the operators of the 90 outlets we inspected," he said.

DCP Ayub said the outlets also included karaokes, pubs, video arcades, cybercafes and snooker centres.

-Daily Chilli/ Asia News Network