PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department raided an electronic equipment recycling plant owned by a Chinese national in a special operation in Klang, Selangor, on Tuesday.
In the 4pm operation, a total of 48 individuals, including the director and owner of the plant, were detained and cash amounting to RM688,900 was seized.
The operation was carried out based on public complaints and one month-long surveillance by the Intelligence and Special Operations Division.
Director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh, said the operation involved a team of officers and members of various ranks from the Intelligence and Special Operations Division, the Special Tactical Team, as well as the Putrajaya Enforcement and Prevention Division.
He said, based on information and surveillance, the team planned the operation at the factory before detaining a local man and a Chinese national who were the director and owner of the factory respectively.
"We also arrested 46 other individuals, including two men and three women, all Chinese nationals aged between 50 and 70, who were also members of the company's board of directors.
"Business licenses, company documents, Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) certificates, business records, premises keys, six Chinese passports, cash totaling RM688,900, and 42 factory worker clock-in cards were also seized," he said at a press conference here today.
Ruslin said 36 male Myanmar nationals, two female Myanmar nationals, three male Chinese nationals and one male Indonesian national aged between 16 and 78 were also detained.
He said that preliminary checks found that two men and a female Chinese national had valid work permits, while two other Chinese women had valid dependent passes.
Another female Chinese national had overstayed, and a 16-year-old Myanmar teenager was also detained and investigated for suspected involvement in human trafficking under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (ATIPSOM).
"The remaining 43 foreign workers at the factory did not possess any valid travel documents or passes to be in the country," he said.
Ruslin said the modus operandi of the factory was to process electronic waste, cables and wires to extract copper and aluminium from various countries brought in through Port Klang.
The recycled items would be bulk-sold for the domestic and international markets.
He said the factory, which operated for two years, also paid foreign workers between RM2,500 and RM3,000 per month, besides providing accommodation within the factory.
"During the raid, some foreign workers attempted to flee and the large factory area posed a challenge to the enforcement officers," he said.
He said some foreign workers also attempted to escape by making noise and obstructing the operation team during the search, but their actions were unsuccessful.
He said all of the foreign workers, including the 43 without valid documents, were detained for suspected offenses under the Immigration Act 1963, Passport Act 1966, and ATIPSOM and held at the Bukit Jalil Immigration Depot for further action.
"The local male, who is also the factory director, is being investigated for offences under Section 55B of the Immigration Act 1959/63, while the other two locals working at the factory have been issued notices to report to the immigration office to assist in the investigation," he said.