KLANG, Feb 22 — Fearing arrest, a handful of foreigners used “guerrilla tactics” to avoid arrest by the Immigration Department (JIM) in an enforcement operation at the Meru Market Complex here early this morning.
The operation, which began at 5.30am saw some foreigners crawling into narrow drains to hide while some climbed to the roof to avoid detection.
JIM deputy director-general (operations) Jafri Embok Taha said 598 foreigners were arrested out of 630 suspects, aged between 17 and 57 years old.
He said some of the foreigners claimed they were United Nations High Commission for Refugees cardholders to avoid arrest.
“In today’s operation, JIM inspected 530 Myanmar, 85 Bangladeshis, seven Indonesians, five Indians, and one Nepali, and all of them will be placed at the Semenyih Immigration Depot for investigation and follow-up action.
“Among the offences identified were not having identification documents, violating pass conditions, overstaying, unrecognised card holders and other offences that violate the Immigration Act (1959/63),” he said at a press conference after the operation ended at about 7am.
Also present at the operation today were Selangor Immigration director Khairrul Aminus Kamaruddin, Klang Mayor Datuk Abd Hamid Hussain, 153 officers from the JIM, General Operations Force, Klang Royal City Council, and the National Registration Department.
Jafri said his party would keep carrying out operations to detect, arrest, prosecute and deport foreign nationals who violate provisions under the Immigration Act 1959/63, Passport Act 1966, Immigration Regulations 1963, and Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
Meanwhile, Hamid said that from his party’s initial inspection today, it is believed that nearly half of the 600 market lots licensed by MBDK were rented out to foreigners.
He said his department will carry out further inspections to identify the actual number of lots involved to ensure the facilities are not misused.
“We are aware the facilities provided by MBDK are rented out at a low price, so if someone practices ‘Ali Baba’, they may rent them out to foreigners at a high price.
“In terms of policy, we can cancel the lot rental to them and the licence to the owner… When we identify them in our follow-up checks, they will also be blacklisted,” he said.
— Bernama
