THE Immigration Department arrested 309 illegal immigrants during an integrated operation carried out near ​​a construction site in Dengkil, early yesterday morning.

Those detained comprised 280 men and 29 women, in their 20s to 50s, of various nationalities – Indonesians (193), Bangladeshis (102), Vietnamese (four), Indians (two) and Myanmar nationals (eight).

Immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud said his department had received information of people living in the area who have violated the standard operating procedures of the movement control order.

He said, as a result, the department had raided the area.

“I arrived with the operations team and found that their settlement was dense, dirty and did not have a proper drainage system, apart from having a place to gather and eat in large numbers.

“They also admitted that they lived in a group in one room, which is about four to seven people,” he told reporters at the scene.

He said it was the aim of the Home Ministry to reduce Covid-19 infection among foreign workers at the workplace.

“Indonesian women enter Malaysia using a social visit pass and continue to reside in the country beyond the stipulated time. In addition, they will live with their husbands who work illegally in the country.

“All these illegal immigrants will undergo Covid-19 screening today to be carried out by the Putrajaya and Seremban district health offices,” he said.

Khairul said after the test, the immigrants will be detained at the Semenyih Immigration Depot for investigation before deportation.

During the operation, the Immigration Department also checked 10 Rohingya refugees who are United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cardholders.

“Out of 10 UNCHR cardholders, only two of them were arrested for possessing fake UNCHR cards while the others were released,” he said.

The integrated operation was conducted by 189 personnel from various enforcement agencies including the General Operations Force, National Registration Department, Labour Department and the Civil Defence Force. – Bernama, June 21, 2021.