770 expatriates, 377 Bangladeshis detained in Malaysian raid
The Immigration Department has conducted a special operation in Bukit Bintang, one of Malaysia’s tourist destinations. On Tuesday (September 2) evening, a building was raided and 770 foreign nationals, including Bangladeshis, were detained for various crimes. The country’s Enforcement Department director Basri Othman said that the special operation was conducted based on public complaints and intelligence information. 106 officers from the Immigration Department in Putrajaya participated in it. During the operation, seven to eight illegal immigrants were caught red-handed while gambling. It was found that this was their regular hangout, where they often gather to gamble. At first, a man who claimed to be just a tourist obstructed the officers during the search and misbehaved with them. It was later found that he did not have any valid documents. During the operation, some immigrants tried to hide in nearby shops. Some hid under tables. The most surprising incident occurred when some immigrants climbed onto the roof of a nearby building to avoid arrest. Some gave the excuse of eating at restaurants or shops or going for a walk. A total of 2,445 people were searched in the operation, including 1,600 foreigners and 845 local citizens. 770 illegal immigrants were also arrested for various crimes. All those detained were between the ages of 21 and 65. Among those detained were 17 Indonesian men and two women, 377 Bangladeshi men, 58 Indian men, 235 Myanmar men, 72 Nepalese men and nine citizens of other countries. They were charged with not having valid documents, overstaying their visas, using fake identity cards and other immigration law violations. Basri Othman said initial investigations showed that most of those detained worked on construction projects and their employers rented houses for them to stay in. It was also reported that the detainees were taken to Immigration in Putrajaya for initial screening and will then be held at the Beranang and Lengeng detention depots.
