KUALA LANGAT: Illegal foreign construction workers attempting to evade arrest during a raid by the Selangor Immigration Department here yesterday resorted to hiding under makeshift wooden structures and wading into a chest level-high pond.
Most of them were rooted out, however.
In the three-hour early morning Ops Ikrar raid at a construction site in Bandar Saujana Putra, the 132 illegals were later arrested by the Department's enforcement officers for various offences under the Immigration Act 1959/1963 and Immigration Regulations.
Aged between 20 and 51, the 132 men were among 403 who were checked. They were residing at the site's rumah kongsi and in a building which is under construction.
Selangor Immigration Department’s head of operations unit Jaimin Sumpit said the site was first raided in 2015 and again on Tuesday following complaints from the public and intelligence information.
"The construction site is very large, pitch dark and surrounded by construction materials such as metal, concrete and wood, which made it difficult for the operation's team to locate and arrest the illegal workers.
“Many of them managed to escape from the raiding team.
"Those arrested are from Indonesia (104), Bangladesh (24), Myanmar (3) and Ghana (1).
“Ninety six did not have valid passes, 35 have overstayed and one possessed fake papers," said Jaimin in a statement today.