KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department and the Health Ministry yesterday shut down 10 premises in the city believed to have been operating illegally as clinics run by Bangladeshis for the past year.
This followed the arrest of 10 Bangladeshi men, aged between 31 and 50, during a special operation jointly conducted by the department and the ministry.
Acting on two weeks of surveillance and information gathering, the authorities raided premises disguised as eateries or grocery shops at 10 locations in the city, including Jalan Tun Siew Sin, Leboh Pudu, and Jalan Silang.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the Health Ministry seized 502 types of unregistered medicines, estimated to be worth about RM265,000.
"The department also seized fake medical equipment, medicines, and RM800 in cash, believed to be proceeds from treatments and the sale of medicines," he said in a statement today.
Zakaria said checks revealed that one of the foreigners detained during the raid held a Temporary Work Visit Pass (PLKS) under the services sector, six held PLKS under the construction sector, two had overstayed, while another was staying in the country without valid documents.
He added that preliminary investigations showed the suspects were offering medical treatment services despite being unqualified to do so.
Their modus operandi involved providing services exclusively to Bangladeshi nationals.
"The medicines sold at the premises were brought in by Bangladeshi nationals who entered the country as tourists, in which, they were paid between RM200 and RM500," he said.
"They also operated under the guise of eateries or grocery shops to evade detection by the authorities.
"Fees for treatment and the sale of medicines ranged from RM50 to RM200 per customer, and the operation is believed to have been running for a year," he added.
He added the suspects arrested during the operation were believed to have committed offences under Section 13(a) of the Poisons Act 1952 for possession for sale of poison, Regulation 3(1) of the Poisons (Psychotropic Substances) Regulations 1989 for possesion of any psychotropic substances and Regulation 7(1) of the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984 for sale of unregistered health products.
Zakaria also said the suspects arrested under the Immigration Act 1959/63 during the operation were sent to the Putrajaya Immigration depot pending the next course of action.
"We have also issued notices to two men from Bangladesh and six women, all Malaysians, to come to our office to facilitate investigations into the case," he said.