JOHOR BARU: A total of 55 illegal immigrants working as serving staff and cooks at six eateries within the Johor Baru district have been detained over various offences.
Johor Immigration Department director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said in a statement that an operation codenamed Ops Selera was conducted following complaints from the public and the department’s intelligence surveillance.
The operation started at 7pm on Thursday (Sept 18) and involved 25 enforcement personnel from the department.
Mohd Rusdi said three local men, believed to be managers of the food outlets, were also apprehended.
They were nabbed over several offences, including working without valid permits and residing in the country without proper documentation.
Mohd Rusdi said the foreigners detained include three Korean men, 38 Myanmar men, three Bangladeshi men, three Korean women, and eight Myanmar women, aged between 18 and 53.
“They have been placed at the Setia Tropika Immigration Depot to assist with investigations under the Immigration Regulations 1963 and the Immigration Act 1959/63,” he said.
Mohd Rusdi added that authorities would continue to work closely with other enforcement agencies in Johor to eradicate the influx of illegal immigrants in the state.
