IPOH: The Perak Immigration Department, in an operation codenamed Op Gegar, detained 11 female illegal immigrants in an entertainment centre in Ipoh early this morning.

Its director, Meor Hezbullah Meor Abd Malik said the raid was conducted by the Perak Immigration Intelligence and Operations Unit at the premises as a result of complaints, monitoring and intelligence.

“The operation, involving 38 Immigration officers, was conducted between 11.30 pm and 1.30 am, and the inspection was conducted on 32 foreign nationals at the entertainment centre,” he said in a statement today.

“Following that, we detained 11 women, comprising nine Thai nationals and two Chinese nationals, aged between 21 and 37, believed to have committed an offence under the Immigration Act 1959/63 as well as the Immigration Regulations 1963.

He said all the women are being held at the Ipoh Immigration Depot in Perak for the purpose of investigations and further action

“According to the legal process, all the detainees are reasonably believed to have committed an offence under Section 6 (1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, namely entering and staying in Malaysia without a valid pass.

“In addition, they are believed to have committed an offence under Section 15 (1)(c) of the same act which is to have stayed or been in Malaysia after the expiration of the valid visit pass issued and the offence under Regulation 39(b), Immigration Regulations 1963 which is to violate the conditions of the pass which had been released,“ he added.