Malaysian police arrest 51 men, seize drugs in raids linked to 'gay party'

Malaysian authorities detained 51 men in a series of raids on Sunday, investigating what police described as a drug-fueled "gay party" held at a Kuala Lumpur hotel. The men, aged between 21 and 52, included 28 foreigners.

Narcotics investigations department director Hussein Omar Khan stated that the group was found using hotel rooms for entertainment and drug abuse, and is believed to be involved in immoral activities. Authorities seized approximately 103,070 ringgit ($26,021) worth of illicit drugs, including MDMA, ecstasy pills and powder, and ketamine. The case is being investigated under the Dangerous Drugs Act.

Prior to the raids, one man suspected of being at the party was found unconscious in the hotel lobby and later pronounced dead at Kuala Lumpur Hospital. The cause of death was not immediately provided. Thirty-six of the detained men tested positive for drugs, and they have been remanded for three to six days as investigations continue.

Homosexuality is criminalized in Muslim-majority Malaysia, which operates a dual-track legal system where Islamic laws apply to Muslims. Sodomy is a crime, and sharia laws ban same-sex acts and cross-dressing. Rights groups have warned that LGBT people in Malaysia face increasing scrutiny and intolerance.

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This group was found to be using rooms in upscale hotels for entertainment, drug abuse, and is believed to be involved in immoral activities.