72 Bangladeshis arrested in Malaysia raid

The Malaysian Immigration Department has arrested a total of 402 illegal immigrants, including 72 Bangladeshis, in a series of raids in the states of Johor and Negeri Sembilan.

Immigration sources said 356 illegal immigrants were arrested during a raid on a computer parts manufacturing factory in the Tebrau industrial area of ​​Johor Bahru. The raid, which began at 7 pm on Wednesday, was based on allegations of systematic recruitment of illegal workers.

Johor Immigration Department director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said the Johor Immigration Enforcement Branch conducted the operation in collaboration with the Border Control and Security Agency (AKPS). The operation found that a large number of foreign workers were working there without valid travel documents and work permits.

He said that during the raid, some foreigners tried to escape, but their attempts were thwarted as all exits from the factory were quickly blocked. Two local male employees of the factory's human resources department have also been detained to assist in the investigation into the incident.

After verification, it was found that out of the 356 detainees, 299 are Myanmar citizens, 26 Bangladeshis, 22 Indians, three Indonesians, two Nepalis, and one Pakistani and one Filipino citizen each. Their ages range from 18 to 46 years.

Datuk Mohd Rusdi also said that evidence of well-organized activities in violation of immigration laws was found at the factory. This included the illegal recruitment and employment of foreign workers. All those detained have been detained at the Setia Tropica Immigration Depot as suspects under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963.

He stressed that there will be no compromise against those who are profiting from employing illegal workers. The illegal recruitment cycle will be broken by conducting continuous and coordinated campaigns across Johor.

Meanwhile, the Immigration Department has arrested 46 illegal immigrants in a separate operation at an iron factory in the Nilai area of ​​Negeri Sembilan state. All of the detainees are Bangladeshi citizens.

State Immigration Director Kenneth Tan Ai Kiang said 26 immigration officers took part in the operation, which lasted more than four hours from 9 am on Thursday. A total of 117 people were checked during the operation, and 46 Bangladeshis aged between 18 and 43 were arrested on charges of violating various immigration laws.

The operation, attended by 19 members of the Seremban City Council and 11 officials from the Home Ministry, concluded at around 1:30 pm, with no untoward incidents occurring, he said.

Kenneth Tan said the detainees were charged with multiple offences, including not having valid passes and travel documents, and overstaying. These offences fall under the Immigration Act 1959/63, the Passport Act 1966, and the Immigration Regulations 1963. All the detainees have been detained at the Lenggeng Immigration Depot.

At the same time, the public has been urged to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies by providing information regarding illegal immigrants (PATI). An investigation is also underway against the employers who employed the illegal workers concerned. After the investigation, a case will be filed against them under Section 55E(1) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for hiring or harboring illegal workers.