Bangladeshis among 123 undocumented Asian workers held in Malaysia
All were found working without valid permits and have been sent to the Setia Tropika Immigration Depot for further investigation
At least 123 undocumented Asian workers, including several Bangladeshis, were detained in a raid by Malaysian immigration officers at a plastic factory in Johor under Ops Mahir following weeks of surveillance.
During the 14 November raid, many workers tried to flee and hide inside storage areas, but enforcement teams from the Johor Immigration Department and the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency sealed all exits before rounding them up.
The detainees — men and women aged between 20 and 48 — were from Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, India and Pakistan, officials said.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
All were found working without valid permits and have been sent to the Setia Tropika Immigration Depot for further investigation, reports the Straits Times.
State Immigration Director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said the factory had long been under watch as intelligence suggested a large number of undocumented workers were employed there.
A local employee serving as the factory's human resources officer was also arrested for allegedly facilitating the illegal hiring, he said.
Rusdi warned that employers harbouring undocumented migrants remain a key target. "Intensified operations will continue to curb abuse of foreign labour," he added.
