KOTA BHARU, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- Over 65,000 foreigners were detained for various immigration offences through more than 11,000 enforcement operations by the Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) nationwide, from Jan 1 to Oct 15 this year, said the department’s deputy director-general (Operations) Datuk Lokman Effendi Ramli.
He said that during the 287-day period, more than 146,000 foreigners were checked, while more than 45,000 of those detained were repatriated to their respective home countries.
According to him, JIM conducts an average of more than 38 operations a day, with approximately 511 foreigners being checked and 228 detained each day.
"This shows the seriousness of the Immigration Department in continuously enforcing measures to combat immigration law violations in this country," he said at a press conference after the enforcement operation at the site of the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Specialist Hospital project, in Kubang Kerian, here today.
He said that among the offences frequently detected are not possessing valid documents or permits to stay in Malaysia under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, overstaying under Section 15(1)(c) of the same Act, and abusing the passes or permits granted.
According to him, the abuse of visas includes entering the country using a social visit visa but working without valid permission.
He said that Bangladesh, Indonesia and Myanmar nationals were among the most numerous sent back as a result of the enforcement operations.
The operations also involved various sectors, including construction, services and agriculture.
In a related development, JIM detained 55 foreigners out of 57 individuals who were inspected during a raid at a construction site in Kubang Kerian, here today.
Lokman Effendi said all of them were detained on suspicion of committing various immigration offences and were brought in for further inspection before legal action is taken.
In another operation on the same day, JIM detained a Myanmar man who was believed to be acting as a transporter to smuggle out 10 of his compatriots from Malaysia through illegal routes.
All 11 individuals, aged between 20 and 34 years, were arrested at a hotel in Wakaf Che Yeh, here, at 8.30 am.
He said the 10 Myanmar nationals were believed to have come from Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur before transiting in Wakaf Che Yeh to be smuggled out of the country through illegal routes.
"Each individual is believed to have been charged around RM3,500 to be smuggled out of the country. However, as a result of intelligence, their movements were successfully intercepted and all of them were detained for further investigation," he said.
He also said that his team is still investigating the duration the man, who is believed to be acting as the transporter, has been carrying out the activity and the possibility of involvement from other groups.
According to him, the activity of smuggling foreigners through illegal routes is not a new issue and is likely to involve several different groups or agents, but further investigations are still being conducted regarding the case.
-- BERNAMA