Kedah Immigration detains 16 illegals

ALOR SETAR: The Kedah Immigration Department detained 16 illegal immigrants, including children, and three locals during an operation on Thursday afternoon.
Department director Yusri Hashim said the 16 comprised of four Thai men, two Thai women, a boy and girl, six Myanmar men, one Myanmar woman and a child.
He said those detained during the operation which began at about 12.30pm at Kampung Sematang Pinang were aged between eight months to 55-years-old.
Yusri said a 31-year-old man and a 40-year-old man, both Nepal nationals, were detained during a simultaneous operation at the Mergong II Industrial area.
"Three local persons, aged between 36 to 59, were detained to assist investigations," he said in a statement today.
Yusri said investigations will be carried out under the Immigration Act 1959/63 for not possessing valid travel documents and the Immigration Rules 1963 for violating their social passes.
He said probes will commenced under the same Act against the three locals for harbouring illegal immigrants.
In another operation at about the same time in SUNGAI PETANI, Yusri said a 43-year-old woman from Myanmar and a two-month-old child were detained.
He said the woman was dressed in Muslim garb to elicit sympathy while begging on the streets at Taman Delima here.
"Further checks showed she is not a Muslim," he said, adding that the case will be investigated under the Immigration Act 1956/63.