ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS JUMP INTO SWAMP TO AVOID IMMIGRATION RAID

KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 (Bernama) -- Willing to do anything to avoid being arrested by the authorities, some would even jump into a muddy swamp. This was exactly what illegal immigrants did during the Malaysian Immigration Department's (JIM) targeted raids nationwide today.

Two Bangladeshi men did jump into a swamp during a JIM raid on a condominium construction site, in Jalan Kuching here, but their actions were foiled.

Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff said in the operation carried out simultaneously nationwide at about 10.30 am today, 60 illegal immigrants were arrested after inspecting 200 foreigners at the raid location.

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"Those arrested comprised 41 Bangladeshi men, 17 Indonesians including two women, and one Myanmar and an Indian man, each aged between 25 and 50, all of whom are believed to be working as construction labourers," he said in a press conference at the raid location.

Wan Mohammed said his department also arrested a local employer, according to Section 56(1)(d) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, who was believed to be employing and protecting illegal immigrants.

In KELANTAN, an Indonesian woman, with a one-month-old baby, was among 91 foreign immigrants arrested during an operation at a 42-storey apartment construction site in Kubang Kerian.

The woman came from Padang, Indonesia to accompany her husband who is a labourer at the construction site and the baby was born in Kelantan last month.

Kelantan Immigration Department director Mohamed Yusoff Khan Mohd Hassan said the foreigners arrested comprised Indonesians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Myanmarese and Indians.

In TERENGGANU, the state Immigration Department arrested 39 illegal immigrants including three Indonesians, one Pakistani and 35 Bangladeshis, aged between 30 and 50, in a targeted raid in the Kemaman district.

Its director, Mohd Yusri Mohd Nor said this was the result of inspections on 118 foreigners and locals at the Bandar Baru Kijal construction site.

In LABUAN, 20 foreigners, aged between 15 and 60, were arrested in an operation conducted by 32 personnel from the Labuan Immigration Department, Royal Malaysian Police, and National Registration Department at a construction site at Jalan Patau-Patau.

Labuan JIM director Raymond Entalai said those arrested included a Filipina and an Indonesian citizen, and the case is being investigated under Section 39(b) of the Birth and Death Registration Act 1957.

Meanwhile, in MELAKA, following the inspection of 215 foreign workers, 170 illegal of them were arrested in a Melaka Immigration Enforcement operation at two construction sites in Batu Berendam and Kota Laksamana here today.

State Immigration director Anirwan Fauzee Mohd Aini said all those arrested were aged between 25 and 40 years old, and included Bangladeshis, Nepalis, Myanmaris, Pakistanis, Indians, Indonesians and Chinese.

In PAHANG, State Immigration director Nursafariza Ihsan announced that her team had arrested 35 foreigners, including Bangladeshis and Indonesians, in their 20s and 40s, in an operation in the construction sector area in Raub.

"This followed an inspection on 85 individuals, and all of those detained were for violating pass conditions and will be placed at the Kemayan Immigration Depot for further investigations,” she said.

All illegal immigrants detained in the targeted raid operation nationwide are being investigated under Section 6(1)(c) and Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 as well as Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963.

In NEGERI SEMBILAN, the state immigration department detained 102 illegal immigrants during an enforcement operation at construction sites in the Bukit Kepayang Rasah area here today.

Negeri Sembilan JIM director Kennith Tan Ai Kiang said during the operation, a total of 130 foreign workers were inspected and of the total, 102 were detained for various immigration-related offences.

“A total of 93 men and nine women, aged between 13 and 55, from Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar were detained for not possessing valid passes or travel documents, overstaying, and other violations under the Immigration Act 1959/63, Passport Act 1966, and Immigration Regulations 1963,” he said.

All detainees have been sent to the Lenggeng Immigration Depot in Nilai for investigation and further action.

Meanwhile, in SELANGOR, the state Immigration Department detained 62 illegal immigrants suspected of committing various offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63 in a raid at a construction site in Section 13 here today.

Selangor Immigration director Khairrul Aminus Kamaruddin said those detained comprised 60 men and two women from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar and Pakistan, all aged between 23 and 44.

“Investigations revealed that they had been working at the construction site for over six months, and their documents were being held by the employer. All detainees have been sent to the Semenyih Immigration Depot for remand and further investigation,” he added.

In PENANG, the state Immigration Department detained 16 illegal immigrants, found to have committed various offences, during a raid at two factory construction sites in Bertam and Bayan Lepas as part of Op Sasar today.

Penang JIM director Nur Zulfa Ibrahim said today that those detained included six Myanmar nationals, five Bangladeshis, two Chinese, and one each from Singapore, India and Pakistan.

She said the 10 am to 6 pm operation was carried out together with the 2nd Battalion of the General Operations Force (GOF) in Kulim, Kedah.

-- BERNAMA