561 detained in Malaysia including more than two hundred Bangladeshis

Photo: Collected. The country's immigration department has detained 561 people, including 205 Bangladeshis, in an anti-illegal immigration operation in Malaysia. Among these, there are 87 women.

They were arrested in a raid at Baiduri Apartments in Beranang's Tasik Kesuma town on Friday midnight local time.

More than five hundred members of the Immigration Department of Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca, and Perak participated in the operation, which was carried out on the complaint of local citizens. Apart from the Immigration Department, members of the Royal Police, JPN, and Defense Department were also present in the operation.

In a statement after the raid, Immigration Department director-general (DG) Datuk Ruslin Juso said 80 percent of the apartments here are occupied by foreign workers. Which is worrying for locals. Foreigners are staying here with 8 to 10 people renting an apartment of 600 to 800 ringgit. Locals call this area 'mini Dhaka'. He commented that the operation was conducted mainly on the complaints of the locals.

According to the Immigration Department, after checking the documents of 752 foreign workers, 561 people were detained. Among these 87 are women. Most of those arrested are 205 Bangladeshis, the rest are citizens of Myanmar, Nepal, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Cambodia, Sierra Leone, and Cameroon. It was also informed in the press conference that several people tried to escape during the operation. The Department of Immigration has identified 220 apartments with high numbers of illegal immigrants.

The DG of the Immigration Department said that when foreigners stay in one place for a long time, they gradually start to conduct business and trade among themselves, identifying the area as their own, which we are totally discouraging.

The detainees will initially be taken to the Simini camp. The Immigration Department said that further action would be taken against them after the final verification.

According to the Immigration Department, 870 raids were conducted across Malaysia on the 18th day of the new year. And the documents of 9 thousand 169 immigrants have been initially checked. 4 thousand 26 people were finally detained on charges of violating immigration laws. And 42 owners have also been brought under punishment.