By Stephen Then

MIRI, Malaysia - The vice industry is booming in the city with sex toys and sex-stimulants from China being openly sold.

The police in Miri are uncovering more interesting details following the discovery of shops openly selling sex paraphernalia.

Prostitution and other vice activities are also mushrooming all over the city, some of which are in the guise of foot massage centres.

The police have seized dozens of these items from a shopping mall during an anti-vice raid in various parts of the city on Thursday night.

Among the items seized were rubber sex toys, stimulants, battery-operated vibrators, suction pumps, and even forks and spoons with handles shaped like sex organs.

The raid was ordered by Bukit Aman as part of a nationwide crackdown on the sex trade, Miri police chief Assistant Commis-sioner Jamaluddin Ibrahim said yesterday.

"We have received instructions from Bukit Aman to crackdown on sex crimes. It is a nationwide directive meant to get rid of these vices.

"We carried out raids during an operation and found shops in a mall selling these items. We have arrested two men. We are going all out to stop the sex trade.

"In Miri, we have the situation under control. We are continuing our operations against prostitution and other vices regularly," he told a press conference.

This is the biggest haul involving sex toys so far this year, he said, adding that the items were worth RM3,000 (S$1,265).

When pointed out that there were more of sex toy shops throughout the city, including licensed ones that had been operating for years, ACP Jamaluddin expressed surprise.

"You people (reporters) please give us more information," he said.

Asked about the mushrooming of prostitution and other vice activities, some of which were in the guise of foot massage centres, ACP Jamaluddin reiterated that police were carrying out regular raids against such outlets.