117 Foreigners Detained In Factory Raid - Immigration

JOHOR BAHRU, March 1 (Bernama) -- A raid conducted under Ops Mahir on a medical equipment factory in the Senai area last Thursday led to the arrest of 117 foreign nationals for allegedly working without valid documents.

The operation, which began at 7 am, was conducted by the Malaysian Immigration Department following intelligence gathering and public complaints, in collaboration with the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS.

Johor Immigration director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said those detained comprised 47 Myanmar men, five Bangladeshi men and 65 Myanmar women, aged between 19 and 52.

“Inspections found that they failed to produce valid travel documents and work passes, and are believed to have been employed without proper authorisation,” he said in a statement today.

A Malaysian man working as a human resources officer at the factory was also detained to assist investigations.

Mohd Rusdi said the operation followed several weeks of surveillance on employers suspected of hiring undocumented foreign workers to cut labour costs.

All detainees have been placed at the Setia Tropika Immigration Depot for further investigation under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963.

-- BERNAMA