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Malaysian immigration authorities have detained 129 undocumented foreign nationals, including 100 Bangladeshis, during an enforcement operation at a construction site in Kedah state, officials said.
The raid, carried out under Ops Sapu, took place at around 10:00 am local time on Wednesday at a commercial building construction site in Kulim district. It was conducted by a 20-member enforcement team from the Kedah Immigration Department following intelligence gathering and public complaints.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Kedah Immigration Director Mohd Ridzzuan Mohd Zain said officers inspected 159 people, including 30 Malaysian citizens and 129 foreign nationals. All 129 foreigners were detained after authorities verified their documents.
The detainees are suspected of violating Malaysia’s Immigration Act 1959/63 and Immigration Regulations 1963 by entering or staying in the country without valid travel documents or work permits, overstaying their visas, or breaching the conditions of their immigration passes.
Those arrested included 125 men and four women. By nationality, the detainees comprised 100 Bangladeshis, 11 Pakistanis, 10 Indonesians and eight Myanmar nationals.
Mohd Ridzzuan said several undocumented immigrants attempted to flee after spotting immigration officers, while others allegedly hid in hazardous areas on the upper floors of the building under construction to evade arrest.
However, enforcement officers managed to secure the site and detain all the suspects without incident while following established safety procedures, he said.
The detainees, aged between 21 and 62, have been transferred to the Belantik Immigration Depot for documentation, further investigation and legal proceedings.
The Kedah Immigration Department said similar operations would continue to curb illegal immigration and ensure compliance with the country’s immigration laws.
It also warned employers against hiring or harbouring foreign nationals without valid travel documents or work permits, saying legal action would be taken against those found violating the Immigration Act.
