Immigration Dept Raids ‘Little Pakistan’, Detains 196 Illegal Immigrants

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- The Immigration Department (JIM) detained 196 illegal immigrants in a raid on an area dubbed ‘Little Pakistan’ in Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah here last night.

Kuala Lumpur Immigration director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff said that in the operation, which ran from 9 pm to 11.30 pm, a total of 45 business premises along roughly one kilometre of the street — including restaurants, grocery shops and hotels — were inspected.

“A total of 400 individuals were screened, resulting in the detention of 196 illegal immigrants comprising 184 men and 12 women. They are 150 Pakistanis, six Indonesians, 21 Bangladeshis, 10 Indians, two Jordanians, four Nepalese, two Filipinos and one Sri Lankan, aged between 12 and 60,” he told reporters after the operation.

Wan Mohammed Saupee said the illegal immigrants were detained under Section 6(1)(c) and Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for not having valid travel documents and overstaying in the country.

“Most of them were employed at restaurants around the hotspot offering various Pakistani dishes, and checks found some had violated immigration regulations,” he said.

He said three local employers suspected of hiring them were also detained and are being investigated under Section 56(1)(d) and Section 55B of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

During the operation, Kuala Lumpur City Hall seized 52 tables and 204 chairs for obstructing public areas, while the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry issued five compounds totalling RM5,500 for offences related to price labelling and the use of weighing instruments.

“In addition, the Companies Commission of Malaysia issued seven compounds for offences involving business signboards and company registration,” he said.

-- BERNAMA