Malaysian immigration authorities detained 69 foreigners for working illegally as guest relations officers in a Kuala Lumpur nightclub raid.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM) detained 69 foreign nationals, most of them working as guest relations officers (GROs), in an ‘Ops Gegar’ raid at an entertainment outlet along Jalan Imbi early this morning.
Its deputy director-general (Operations) Datuk Lokman Effendi Ramli said 198 individuals were screened, with those detained mainly from Thailand, Vietnam and China.
“The most common offence is the misuse of social visit passes for employment, including as GROs. Individuals entering on such passes do not have valid work permits.
“Firm action will also be taken against employers found hiring them, and they will be charged accordingly,” he said after the operation.
The raid, which began around midnight, saw several individuals attempting to flee by climbing staircases and hiding on the rooftop, but they were successfully apprehended.
Lokman Effendi said the operation involved 89 Immigration officers and was carried out with the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM), the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
JKDM also seized several bottles of alcoholic beverages believed to have evaded tax.
Meanwhile, he said JIM conducted 106 Ops Gegar raids nationwide between January and April 7, checking over 1,800 individuals and detaining 670 foreign nationals for various offences.
“The highest number of arrests involved nationals from Thailand, China and Vietnam, with more than 400 detained,” he said.
All 69 individuals detained in the latest raid have been taken to the Semenyih Immigration Depot in Selangor for further action.
