KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department has detained a garment factory operator, with 45 illegal foreign workers in an enforcement operation held on Sept 23 in Ampang, Selangor.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud said its personnel raided two factories and two other premises owned by a 46-year-old man from Bangladesh.
The man possessed a Temporary Employment Visit Pass (PLKS) which he got from an ID hack syndicate to start and operate a business in the country since 2012.
"He set up the company together with a local and used illegal foreign workers to maximise profit.
"He rented several commercial premises to set up factories, office, exhibition centre and hostels for his workers.
"He employed 45 staff, aged between 17 and 56 from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Indonesia with a RM1,600 monthly salary and raked between RM130,000 and RM150,000 in profits," he said in a statement today.
He said the activity has cost the government to suffer losses around RM700,000 in terms of foreign workers' levy.
The raiding party seized documents, cash from daily sales and vehicle ownership certificates registered under the company's name.
They also confiscated bank cards used by the suspect to store the company's profits at several local banks.
The workers were detained under Section 51(5) (b) Immigration Act 1959/63 for 14 days for further investigation.
The Bangladeshi owner, together with a 37-year-old local woman named as the company director, were detained for employing foreign workers without a valid pass under Immigration Act 1959/63.
The duo are also being investigated under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act (AMLATFA), and Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.