Malaysian Immigration used thermal drones to find hidden suspects, detaining 218 foreigners in a Cheras operation for various immigration offences.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department detained 218 foreign nationals in an integrated operation at Taman Emas, Cheras.
Deputy Director-General (Operations) Datuk Lokman Effendi Ramli (pix) said thermal drone technology helped detect about 15 individuals hiding on shop rooftops.
The operation from 6 pm to 8.30 pm involved inspections of 1,087 people at business premises and upper-floor accommodations.
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“Of the total, 218 foreign nationals aged between 18 and 53 were detained for suspected involvement in various immigration offences,” he said.
The operation followed two weeks of intelligence and involved 279 Immigration officers and 10 National Registration Department personnel.
Those detained comprised 166 men and 52 women from Myanmar, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nigeria, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and other nations.
All detainees will be placed at the Semenyih Immigration Detention Depot for further investigation.
They are being probed for offences including lacking valid documents, breaching pass conditions, and overstaying.
Lokman Effendi said enforcement will continue to detect, arrest, and deport foreigners violating immigration laws.
As of yesterday, 1,069 operations nationwide inspected 17,793 individuals, leading to 3,691 illegal immigrant arrests.
He reminded the public and employers not to hire or harbour foreigners without valid documents.
He also advised illegal immigrants to join the Migrant Repatriation Programme 2.0 before it ends in April 2026. – Bernama
