JOHOR BARU: State Immigration Department enforcement officers detained 88 foreigners including 19 women in two operations against illegal immigrants, codenamed Ops Sapu.
The department’s enforcement chief Masri Adul said in the first operation at Taman Medan Putra in Ayer Hitam, the raiding party consisting of 60 enforcement officers stormed several business premises at 1pm, and conducted checks on 50 foreigners.
The officers detained 21 foreigners aged between 20 and 43, made up of 11 men and 10 women.
They comprised six Pakistani, two Myanmar-nationals, two Bangladeshis, an Indian-national, seven Chinese-nationals, two Thai-nationals and a Vietnamese.
They had violated Section 55B, Section 15(1)(c) and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963 and Rule 39(b) Immigration Regulations 1963.
Their offences included misusing their social visit passes, overstaying and failing to produce valid travel documents.
Masri said among the premises raided in the business centre were a furniture shop, a massage parlour, and also a food court.
A 50-year-old Malaysian man who operated the massage parlour was also detained.
It is learnt that the man was uncooperative and attempted to stop the officers from entering his parlour. He had employed the foreign women as masseurs.
Five foreign women were detained at the parlour and were in the midst of massaging their clients when the officers stormed in.
At 4pm the same day, the raiding party headed to Taman Bukit Mewah in Johor Baru, where 67 foreigners were detained including nine Indonesian women.
The 58 men and nine women consisting of 33 Indonesians, 16 Bangladeshis, two Pakistanis and 16 Myanmar-nationals aged between 18 and 55, were detained for violating rules under the Immigration Act.