Photo credit: Human Rights watch
The Malaysian Immigration Department has arrested 125 illegal immigrants during a raid on a 19-storey building in Setapak, early today.
The Sun reports that Kuala Lumpur Immigration director Wan Mohamed Saupee Wan Yusoff confirmed the operation. It resulted in the detention of 81 men and 43 women, and one child.
The detainees included 79 citizens of Myanmar, 25 from India, 14 from Pakistan, 12 from Indonesia, and five from Bangladesh.
The director stated that the raid followed public complaints about foreign nationals believed to be illegal immigrants dominating the area.
Intelligence reports over two weeks identified a specific block containing 380 housing units. Targeted inspections were conducted on 64 units involving 400 individuals.
The detainees are suspected of not possessing valid travel documents or overstaying their visas under Malaysian immigration laws.
Inspections showed that housing units were rented to illegal immigrants for between 700 and 1,200 ringgit monthly. Room rentals ranged from 200 to 400 ringgit.
