Kuala lumpur: The Immigration Department conducted a raid on two luxury residences being used as transit homes for illegal immigrants, leading to the detention of 10 Bangladeshi nationals, including two men acting as guards, in a special operation that started at 12:30 am.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the director-general of the Immigration Department, Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, revealed that one of the detained individuals held a Temporary Work Visit Pass in the construction sector. Additionally, two women on the Immigration Department's blacklist had reentered the country through an illegal entry point, while the remaining detainees lacked valid passes or travel documents.
"The luxury residential premises were turned into temporary transit homes, operating for several months to accommodate foreigners who are believed to have entered the country through illegal entry points before being sent to their intended destinations," said Datuk Zakaria. The premises were guarded by foreign caretakers who managed temporary placements until the payment process was completed, with fees ranging from RM700 to RM1,500 per person.
During the operation, authorities seized three Bangladeshi passports belonging to other individuals and cash amounting to RM1,595, believed to be proceeds from the activities involved. All the foreigners, comprising eight men and two women aged 23 to 42, were transported to the Putrajaya Immigration Office for further action, with investigations initiated under Section 56(1)(d) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
In a related operation, a local man suspected of acting as a 'transporter' was apprehended alongside four Indian migrant workers during a raid at the Southern Integrated Terminal (TBS) yesterday evening. Datuk Zakaria noted that an Indian male detainee had been blacklisted but reentered the country without passing through designated entry points.
"This activity is believed to have been operating since last year, facilitating the entry of foreign nationals, especially from India, to Malaysia for a fee of RM6,000 per person without using designated entry points, before being picked up by 'transporters' at bus stops and taken to their intended locations," Datuk Zakaria explained. The team seized two mobile phones, four copies of Indian passports, and a Perodua Bezza vehicle believed to be used in the illegal activities.
All individuals detained, aged between 18 and 48 years, were taken to the Putrajaya Immigration Office for further action and investigation under Section 26J of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (ATIPSOM) 2007 and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.