JOHOR BARU: Four Chinese nationals have been arrested by the Immigration Department, including one who allegedly used a fraudulent Mexican passport to enter Malaysia.
Johor Immigration director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said a raid was carried out at a luxury apartment in the Bayu Puteri area here on Tuesday (March 31).
"The suspects, aged between 43 and 57, were three men and one woman. Initial checks found that one of the men had used a fake Mexican international passport to gain entry into Malaysia," he said in a statement on Wednesday (April 1).
Mohd Rusdi added that a search at the apartment uncovered 13 additional passports from various countries and regions, including Hong Kong, China and Vietnam. Preliminary investigations revealed the group had been working at a recreational centre under construction near a golf club in Johor Baru.
All four individuals have been remanded for 14 days under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Passports Act 1966.
In a separate operation in Senai on the same day, 35 foreign nationals were detained during coordinated raids targeting undocumented migrants and non-compliant employers.
"The operation, conducted across multiple business premises including retail shops, carpet stores and food outlets, involved officers from the department’s enforcement division with the assistance of the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency," Mohd Rusdi said.
Those detained, aged between 19 and 52, comprised 24 men and 11 women from Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. They have been placed at the Setia Tropika Immigration detention depot.
Mohd Rusdi added that nine summonses were issued to witnesses to aid in the investigation.
