78 Bangladeshis held in Malaysia

A total of 1,368 illegal immigrants including children were detained by the Immigration Department in raids carried out at the Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market here, yesterday.

Immigration director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud of Malaysia said in the operations that began at 6.30 pm, a total of 790 Myanmar nationals were arrested, followed by Indonesians (421), Bangladeshis (78), Indians (54), Pakistanis (6) and the rest were of other nationalities.

He said those detained comprised 1,009 men, 261 women and 98 children.

“A total of 7,551 foreigners were inspected and 1,368 of them were detained and brought for documentation process at the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department in Jalan Duta.

“This area became the focus point of many foreigners, with majority of them working at the wholesale market,” he said in a statement here today.

Khairul Dzaimee said all detainees tested negative for COVID-19.

“Among their offences include not having valid identification document, overstaying, in possession of fake documents (pass/permit) and other offences under the Immigration Act.

“They would be investigated under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) Act 2007, the Immigration Act 1959/63, the Passport Act 1966 and Immigration Regulations 1963.

“The detainees will be deported back to their countries after they had served their sentence and will be blacklisted from entering Malaysia,” he said.

He said a total of 1,136 officers and personnel from various agencies were involved in the operations which covered areas in the north of Kuala Lumpur city centre which were placed under Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO). _ BERNAMA


Dhaka/AKA