JOHOR BARU: A total of 80 foreign nationals and a local human resources officer were detained during a raid on two factories in the Larkin industrial area for allegedly employing undocumented foreign workers.
Johor Immigration director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said the operation, carried out at about 9am on Friday (July 3), targeted a clock component factory and a snack food manufacturing factory in the Larkin industrial area here.
He said the raid was conducted by enforcement officers from the department with the assistance of the Border Control and Protection Agency.
"The operation was the result of several weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering following information that employers were hiring undocumented foreign workers to reduce labour costs," he said in a statement on Saturday (July 4).
Mohd Rusdi said preliminary checks found that the 80 foreign nationals were believed to have committed various immigration offences, including working without valid permits and failing to produce valid travel documents.
Those detained comprised 31 Myanmar women, 16 Bangladeshi men, 13 Indonesian women, nine Indonesian men, six Myanmar men and five Pakistani men aged between 19 and 48.
He said a local human resources officer at one of the factories was also detained to assist investigations.
"All those detained are being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963.
"They have been placed at the Setia Tropika Immigration Depot for further investigation and action," he said.
Mohd Rusdi said the department would continue to intensify enforcement operations across Johor and warned that stern action would be taken against those found violating the country's immigration laws.
