KUALA TERENGGANU: A total of 603 illegal immigrants have been detained in 260 operations carried out by the Terengganu Immigration Department from Jan 1 until today.
Its director Mohd Yusri Mohd Nor said the arrests were made following checks on 3,381 foreign nationals for various violations under the Immigration Act 1959/63.
During the same period, 24 employers were also penalised through compounds, fines, and court charges for harbouring and employing foreign workers without valid authorisation.
“The majority of those detained are from Bangladesh, Indonesia and Myanmar,” he said after the Migrant Repatriation 2.0 (PRM 2.0) operation at three factories in Kuala Nerus and Kuala Terengganu today.
Mohd Yusri said this year, the department would prioritise enforcement actions against employers under PRM 2.0 programme, which has been extended until April 30 next year.
He said this move is to ensure that employers only hire non-citizens who have valid documents and possess all necessary paperwork to avoid legal actions.
“Last year, 26 employers were issued compounds amounting to RM270,000 for violating immigration regulations,” he said.
