KOTA KINABALU: More illegal immigrants and foreign workers were detained as the authorities continued their crackdown after the end of the deadline for applying the E-card.
In the state capital, 39 people, including five drug addicts, were arrested by enforcement teams in an operation to flush out illegal immigrants.
City police chief ACP M. Chandra said those detained were Filipinos namely five men, eight women, nine girls and 12 boys, aged between one month and 40.
“Five drug addicts were also detained when they were tested positive for drugs,” he said yesterday.
Chandra said the eight-hour operation, which began at 1am on Friday, focused on eight illegal squatters at the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park, Kampung Timbok, Jalan Kionsom, Kampung Tatahan, Inanam Central Market, Metro Town, Bukit Bendera and Bukit Taman Fantasi.
The illegal immigrants would be referred to the Immigration Department for further action while the five drug addicts were detained for investigation under Section 15(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
Chandra added that such operation would be conducted from time to time to flush out illegal immigrants still hiding in the state capital.
In Tawau, the Immigration Department arrested 28 Indonesians, including six children aged between one and 45 during Ops Ikrar (Sapu) here yesterday.
Its Tawau head, Noraini Binti Hj Rasi, said the operation started at 1.30am yesterday at workers’ quarters at Merotai Jaya construction site, Merotai Besar estate area, Kampung Kijang Merotai construction site and Felda Umas Estate area.
The 27-member operation team included three Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission staff and four police officers.
Noraini said 46 persons were checked and the 28 arrested would be investigated under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
In Sandakan, the marine police here detained eight illegal immigrants off Mile 7 waters yesterday.
Marine Police Sandakan commanding officer ACP Mohd Yazib Bin Abd Aziz said a marine police patrol team saw two suspicious boats laden with people around 5.30am at the sea near Mile 7.
When approached by the patrol team, both boats sped off but the boat skippers lost control and stranded at the shallow area of the swamp near Mile 7.
Several people managed to jump off and escape into the swamp, leaving eight people, including a woman in the two boats.
Investigation found that all the detainees had no valid identification documents and had entered the country through an illegal route.
The marine police also confiscated two wooden boats and two 40Hp Yamaha outboard engines.
The illegal immigrants and confiscated items were later brought to the marine police operation base for further investigation under the Immigration Act 1959/63.