Bangladeshis among 62 undocumented migrants detained in Malaysia

Malaysian authorities have detained 62 undocumented foreign nationals, including three Bangladeshis, during an immigration raid in Johor state.

The operation, named ‘Ops Selara’, was carried out on Saturday night, October 11, by the Johor Immigration Department.

In a statement, Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus, Director of the Johor Immigration Department, said the raids targeted two restaurants following intelligence reports that foreigners were working there without valid permits.

Teams from the Immigration Enforcement Unit and the Malaysian Border Control and Security Agency (AKSEM) took part in the operation.

Out of 143 people screened, 62 were detained, aged between three and 50 years. The detainees include 30 from Myanmar, five from Indonesia, three from Bangladesh, two from India, one from Nepal, one from Sri Lanka, and others from various countries.

Datuk Rusdi said the detainees faced multiple immigration-related charges, including lack of valid travel documents, overstaying visas, and working illegally on social visit passes.

The local owners of the two restaurants were also detained for questioning and may face charges under the Immigration Act 1959/63 for employing foreign workers illegally.

All detainees were sent to the Setia Tropika Immigration Depot for further investigation.