364 Bangladeshis Detained in Malaysia
Malaysia’s crackdown on illegal immigrants is continuing. After checks were conducted on 2,500 foreigners in the country, 472 people were detained, 364 of whom were Bangladeshis. The figures emerged from a mega operation conducted in the Kotaraya Bangla Market area of busy Lebuh Pudu and Jalan Silang in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. Bangladeshis accounted for nearly 77 percent of the foreigners detained in the operation.
The Immigration Department of Malaysia launched the “Integrated Mega Law Enforcement Operation” yesterday, Sunday, following complaints about the presence of foreign nationals and suspected illegal business activities. During the operation, which lasted several hours, 472 foreigners aged between 18 and 62 were detained. Among them were 439 men and 33 women. The nationalities of those detained also clearly showed the predominance of Bangladeshis. After 364 Bangladeshis, the detainees included 57 from Myanmar, nine from the Philippines, eight from Nepal, seven each from Indonesia and Pakistan, six from India, three from China, and one each from Zimbabwe and Saudi Arabia.
Datuk Hamsha Injau, regional director of the Immigration Department in Kuala Lumpur, said the detainees were accused of various violations of immigration laws, including failing to possess valid identification documents or required papers and overstaying their authorised period in Malaysia.
The operation created a tense situation in Lebuh Pudu. Several foreigners reportedly attempted to flee after noticing the presence of law enforcement personnel. Some detainees also grappled with immigration officers as officers attempted to detain them. Several business establishments and workers’ living quarters were locked from the inside, prompting officers to break the locks and conduct searches. During the searches, several suspicious premises were found on the upper floors of buildings. Authorities suspect that these premises had been used as brothels. A shop suspected of selling illegal medicines to foreigners was also identified.
As news of the operation spread, several businesses in Lebuh Pudu and Kotaraya quickly emptied. Local reports also said that some foreigners attempted to hide by posing as ordinary customers inside money exchange centres.
