JOHOR BARU: The Immigration Department has detained 45 foreigners believed to be working illegally while living in shoplot units here.
Johor Immigration director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said the operations were carried out around Taman Mount Austin on Saturday (Nov 8), starting at 12.30am.
"The operation followed intelligence and public complaints about undocumented migrants at the shop lots, believed to be working illegally in the area.
"The late-night raid took place while the foreigners were resting in the shoplots, which they had converted into living spaces.
"Several tried to escape while some hid in the bathrooms and in the ceiling during the raid, but our officers managed to arrest them," he said in a statement on Sunday (Nov 9).
He added that the detainees are aged 9 months to 46 years old and were arrested for various immigration offences, such as not possessing valid travel documents and overstaying.
"The detainees comprised 19 Myanmar men, nine Pakistani men, seven Indian men, three Indonesian men, a Myanmar boy, five Myanmar women and an Indonesian woman," he said.
Mohd Rusdi said all detainees are held at the Setia Tropika Immigration Depot for investigation under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Immigration Regulations 1963.
