Raid on illegal settlement in Cyberjaya nets 156 immigrants without valid papers

CYBERJAYA (Bernama): The Immigration Department has detained 156 immigrants in an integrated operation at an illegal settlement here.

Immigration director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud said that in the 11pm Sunday (June 6) operation, a total of 202 immigrants from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar and India, including 12 women and two children, were checked.

He said they range in age from below four to 50 years.

Khairul Dzaimee said on Monday (June 7) 156 of them were detained for not having valid travel and identification documents before being taken to the department's screening centre in Putrajaya for further action.

He said the raid on the settlement, which has access to water and electricity supply through illegal connections, was carried out in collaboration with other enforcement agencies including the police, Civil Defence Force and National Registration Department, after three months of intelligence gathering.

"This illegal settlement has the potential of spreading Covid-19 infections as it fails to comply with the stipulated standard operating procedures under the movement control order (MCO), ” he said when met by reporters after the operation.

On a separate matter, Khairul Dzaimee denied allegations that the department only took action against illegal immigrants, but not their employers.

"The claims are untrue because in 2019, a total of 1,059 employers were charged in court with various offences under the Immigration Act, involving total fines of RM19.3mil, ” he said.

He said last year, 130 employers were brought to court, involving total fines of more than RM10mil.

For the first five months of this year, 130 employers have been slapped with fines amounting to RM3.2mil, he added. – Bernama