KUALA LUMPUR: Authorities mounted raids on 225 residences and commercial units in Selayang Utara, near here last night in Op Kachi, to check illegal immigrants.
Deputy director for the General Operations Force (GOF) of Bukit Aman’s Internal Security and Public Order Department, Datuk Mohamad Suzrin Mohamad Rodhi, said 1,435 individuals were screened during the integrated operation, which began at 10.45 pm and ended at 6 am this morning.
“Myanmar nationals made up the highest count with 1,222 individuals, including 160 children, while the rest comprised citizens of India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Indonesia,” he said at a press conference following the operation.
Mohamad Suzrin said the majority of them are workers at Selayang Wholesale Market and nearby businesses.
He said that some of the illegal immigrants held United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards, adding that they were handed over to the Immigration Department for verification of the authenticity of the cards.
He added that the individuals were also found to have committed various offences under laws enforced by the Immigration Department, the Energy Commission, the National Water Services Commission (SPAN), and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
“The offences included overstaying, lack of valid travel documents, electricity metres tampering, illegal water connections, and operating businesses without licences,” he said, adding that accommodations raided had been illegally modified to house a large number of occupants and have unauthorised utility connections.
According to Mohamad Suzrin, the raids were mounted following public complaints regarding the large number of illegal immigrants in the area.
Coordinated by the police, the operation also involved the Immigration Department, DBKL, the Energy Commission, SPAN, the Malaysian Civil Defence Force, St. John Malaysia, and Tenaga Nasional Berhad, with a total of 560 personnel.
