NABBED: An immigration officer nabs a suspected illegal immigrant at Demak Laut Commercial Centre. — Bernama photo
KUCHING: A total of 105 illegal foreign workers were arrested yesterday when 60 immigration enforcement of f icers raided restaurants, massage parlours, factories, plantat ions and sundry shops here and in Miri yesterday.
The operation, codenamed `Ops 6P’, was launched at 12.01am yesterday to f lush out illegal immigrants.
It netted 90 here and 15 in Miri.
State Immigration Department director Datu Robert Lian said yesterday’s blitz was held here and in Miri only, but it would be launched in other divisions soon as he believed there could be more than 15,000 illegal immigrants in the state.
Of the 90 arrested here under the 6P Amnesty Programme, 27 were factory workers, 32 plantation workers (four of them women), and 31 domestic service helpers (six of them women).
They were picked up in Balai Ringin, Serian, Demak Laut and in the city.
Sixty nine of them were Indonesians, 10 Bangladeshis, eight Indians, and one each from Myanmar, Vietnam and Pakistan.
“This integrated operation will be carried out in areas such as factories, plantations and the service sectors.
We will also focus on errant employers,” Robert told reporters at the department’ enforcement of f ice at Jalan Pending here yesterday.
He said the offences committed included staying without passes, overstaying without passes, and abuse of social pass.
“Those staying illegally in the state without a valid pass and overstaying could be fined up to RM10,000 or five years’ imprisonment or whipping or all the penalties under Section 6 (3) and Section 15 (4) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963,” he said.
“For those who abused social passes, the penalty depends on the duration of their stay.
“If they overstayed for one year, they could be fined RM1,000.
“The fine could be more than RM1,000 but not more than RM3,000 if they overstayed for a longer period as it contravenes Section 39(B) of the Immigration Regulations Act 1963.”
Robert urged members of the public to alert his office if they know of any illegal immigrants in their areas.