Immigration Department enforcement director Basri Othman said they detained 55 migrants for illegally working at a food court here last night. — STR/ AHMAD UKASYAH
PUCHONG: The Immigration Department detained 55 migrants for illegally working at a food court here last night.
Immigration Department enforcement director Basri Othman said 334 people were inspected during Op Kutip, comprising 60 foreigners and 274 locals, following public complaints.
“From this inspection, 55 undocumented migrants were detained for various offences,” he said to reporters.
“Among them were 25 men and 30 women. Most were working as waiters, while some were employed as cooks,” Basri said.
During the operation, several attempted to flee the scene, but Immigration personnel had already sealed off the area and successfully apprehended them.
He added that most had committed offences under Regulation 39B of the Immigration Regulations by abusing their passes.
“They were supposed to work elsewhere but were instead employed at stalls in this food court. Some were also found with expired documents or had overstayed,” he said.
Basri added that, based on preliminary investigations, the migrants were working at the food court full-time rather than as a part-time endeavour.
“From my interviews, one of them had been working here for more than two years,” he said, adding that for Immigration authorities, “there is no such thing as part-time or working beyond the permit issued.”
Basri said those arrested were nationals of Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar and Vietnam, aged between 23 and 47.
He added that all those detained would be taken back to the Immigration office for further investigation.
The director confirmed that 95 Immigration officers were involved in the operation, which began at 6.30pm.
In Feb, another food court in Puchong was raided by the Immigration Department, resulting in 58 foreign nationals detained due to the same offences.
Source: NST
2025-09-08T16:00:00Z