44 unauthorized migrant workers arrested in Batu Pahat

BATU PAHAT: The State Immigration Department has apprehended 44 undocumented foreign workers in a raid conducted at a construction site here.

The operation, dubbed Ops Kutip, involved officers checking the documents and permits of 88 individuals to verify their legal status in the country.

Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus, Director of the State Immigration Department, reported that the detainees included 33 Bangladeshi men, eight Indonesian men, two Myanmar men, and a Nepalese man, ranging in age from 19 to 51. They were held for lacking valid documentation.

The detainees are being held at the Pekan Nenas Immigration Depot for further investigation and subsequent action.

Mohd Rusdi stated that the raid was part of an ongoing enforcement effort prompted by public complaints and information about the presence of illegal migrants.

“We will ramp up enforcement actions in the state to target foreigners residing unlawfully, overstaying, or misusing social passes. Strict penalties will also be imposed on those who employ or harbor illegal immigrants,” he added.