JOHOR BARU: The Immigration Department has detained 28 foreign women working illegally at entertainment and reflexology centres in Segamat.
Johor Immigration director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said the department conducted a special operation targeting five such premises in the town on Tuesday (July 23).
The action was taken following public complaints about the high presence of foreigners allegedly without valid working passes and travel documents, he added.
“We inspected 48 foreigners and locals during the raids. Of those, we detained 28 foreign women and one 48-year-old local man working as a caretaker at one of the premises.
“The undocumented migrants detained are 12 Thai nationals, 11 Vietnamese and five Indonesians, aged between 17 and 48,” he said in a statement on Wednesday (July 24).
Rusdi added that the detainees were being investigated for offences such as overstaying, misuse of a social visit pass, and not possessing any valid visit pass or permit.
The local man was detained for protecting the undocumented migrants while 16 notices were issued to individuals to come forward and help with investigations.
Rusdi said all those detained during the operation were taken to the Immigration Depot in Setia Tropika here for further investigation and action.
“The department will continue to carry out enforcement action to find immigrants who are working illegally or involved in immoral activities.
“We will not compromise and will take stern action against local employers and premises owners found hiring undocumented migrants,” he added.
