PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Immigration Department recently raided timber and plastic factories employing foreign workers in Semenyih and Balakong, Selangor.
Director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban stated that 82 foreign workers and seven locals were inspected during the raid on Jan 13, following public tip-offs and intelligence gathering.
In a statement today, he said 56 foreign nationals were detained, comprising three men and four women from Indonesia, 27 men and 11 women from Myanmar, five men and one woman from Bangladesh, four women from Thailand, and one male employer from China.
“A number of the foreign workers attempted to flee and hide within the sprawling factory area, which was cluttered with timber piles, making it challenging for the raiding team,“ he said.
They are being detained at the Bukit Jalil Immigration Detention Depot for further investigations on violations under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963, he said.
Zakaria added that five summonses were issued to Malaysian witnesses, requiring them to assist in the investigation.