BATU PAHAT: The Immigration Department detained 31 undocumented migrant workers in a series of operations here on Wednesday (July 8).
The operations, codenamed Ops Selera, Ops Sapu and Ops Kutip, involved enforcement officers from the department's Batu Pahat branch.
"Seven premises were inspected during the raids which started at 3pm to check for employment and harbouring of illegals," Johor Immigration director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said in a statement on Thursday (July 9).
He said the premises raided were five eateries and two shophouses, based on intelligence gathering and monitoring.
"We are targeting business premises in Batu Pahat which are bold enough to continue hiring undocumented migrant workers," Rusdi added.
He said the detainees were two Bangladeshi men, 16 Myanmar men, seven Indonesian men, three Indonesian women, and three Myanmar women, all aged 21 to 48.
"They were working at the seven inspected premises, where they also stayed," he added.
He said the detainees are being investigated for offences under Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963, as well as Sections 6(1)(c) and 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Rusdi said the detainees are being held at the Pekan Nanas detention centre in Pontian, and six notices of summons were issued to witnesses to help in the investigations.
