88 Bangladeshis amid 229 arrested in Malaysia immigration raid

Malaysia's Immigration Department raided a factory in Meru, Klang, on Wednesday.and arrested more than 200 illegal foreign workers, including 88 Bangladeshis.

Immigration director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud said the raid was conducted at around 11 am local time, reports The Star. 

"We arrested 229 suspects: 99 Indian nationals, 88 Bangladeshis, 33 Pakistanis, five Myanmar nationals, three Indonesians and one Nepali," he said, adding that the detainees were aged between 22 and 45 years old.

He said the metal disposal factory's workers either had expired or nonexistent documents.

"During inspections several suspects tried to escape and hide among the piles of metal there. But all were successfully arrested. Among the immigration offences detected during the operation included overstaying, improper use of passes and not having valid documentation," he said.

Khairul Dzaimee added that the business did not adhere to movement control order standard operating procedures (SOPs) and said the business was issued a RM30,000 compound notice for SOP non-compliance.

"All those arrested will be sent for Covid-19 tests before being placed at the Semenyih depot," he said.