123 foreign workers, including 45 Bangladeshis, are detained in Malaysia

The Johor state immigration department has arrested 123 illegal foreigners during a raid on a plastics factory in Malaysia.

The Johor Immigration Department confirmed this information in a statement on Sunday.

The statement stated that at around 7 pm on Friday, officers from the Johor Immigration Department's Enforcement Division and the Border Control and Security Agency conducted a raid to locate a large number of foreign workers employed in factories without valid passes.

It mentioned that among the detainees are 45 citizens of Bangladesh, 71 of Myanmar, 4 of India, 2 of Nepal, and 1 of Pakistan.

Sources from the Johor Immigration Department stated that the detained foreigners were charged with serious immigration offenses, including working without permission, failing to produce valid documents, and violating provisions of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963. The local human resources manager of the company was also arrested for his alleged involvement in the illegal recruitment.

During the operation, chaos ensued inside the factory. Several workers tried to escape and hide in hidden areas inside the factory. However, their efforts were thwarted as the enforcement members took quick action and blocked all escape routes.

The Johor State Immigration Department has issued a stern warning that any strategy to hide illegal foreign workers will not escape enforcement's radar.

All the detained suspects have been detained at the local Setia Tropica Immigration Depot for further investigation and action.

The Johor Immigration Department said the operation will continue to prevent the abuse of foreign workers and maintain the rule of law.