770 migrants including Bangladeshi detained in Malaysia

A major anti-immigration drive was carried out in Malaysia on Tuesday night (September 2). During the operation in Bukit Bintang, a tourist hub in Kuala Lumpur, authorities detained a total of 770 undocumented migrants.

According to a report published by the New Straits Times on Wednesday, the highest number of detainees were Bangladeshis, totaling 396, including 394 men and two women. The detainees also included 235 from Myanmar, 72 from Nepal, 58 from India, 19 from Indonesia, and nine from other countries.

The operation, known as ‘Ops Belanja,’ involved 106 immigration officers who turned Bukit Bintang into a lockdown zone within just two hours. Despite attempts by hundreds of undocumented migrants to hide under tables, in shops, or on rooftops, they were caught as officers checked documents and tracked them down.

Basri Osman, Director of the Immigration Department who led the operation, said a total of 2,445 people were screened, of whom 1,600 were foreigners and 845 locals. He noted that the main offences were overstaying visas, lacking valid identification, and working without permits.

During the raid, officials also discovered a secret gambling den equipped with CCTV cameras, where seven to eight foreigners were arrested on suspicion of online gambling.