Kuala Lumpur: A man attempting to evade detection by disguising himself as a member of the media was among 32 illegal immigrants detained during raids by the Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) in Chow Kit and Sentul. The raids took place early today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the man was captured at a hotel in Chow Kit, a location suspected to be a haven for illegal immigrants. In a panic, he knelt and pleaded for his release, claiming he had valid documents to remain in the country. A woman also faced a similar fate when she attempted to flee but was unable to escape due to a locked hotel room door, despite her cries for assistance.

Both individuals were part of the group of 32 illegal immigrants apprehended for lacking valid travel documents and overstaying in Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur JIM Director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff stated that the raid was the result of two weeks of intelligence gathering, targeting several known hotspots across the capital.

The initial raid at a hotel in Chow Kit resulted in the arrest of 22 individuals, including two men and nine Indonesian women, four Pakistani men, five Bangladeshi men, and two Thai women. The second operation in Sentul, focusing on four shophouses, led to the detention of three Indonesian women, three Indian men, two Nepalese men, one Myanmar national, and one Pakistani.

Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff, when contacted, mentioned that those arrested were aged between 15 and 45, with many working in sectors such as hotel services, laundry, catering, and snooker game outlets. The individuals are under investigation under Section 6(1)(c) and Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for lacking valid travel documents and overstaying in the country.