KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department raided a steel recycling factory in the Gebeng Industrial Area, Kuantan, Pahang in a joint operation on Wednesday.
Its director-general, Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, said the operation, which began at noon, involved the Pahang state Immigration Department team and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Money Laundering Division (Atipsom and Amla) from the Putrajaya Immigration headquarters, in collaboration with the Pahang state Labour Department.
He said the raid was based on public information and intelligence gathered over two weeks.
"The operations team was deployed to the location and succeeded in apprehending 91 foreigners from various countries.
"Those detained comprised 43 men from China, 21 men from Pakistan, 19 men from Bangladesh, one man from Indonesia, as well as five women from China and two women from Myanmar, aged between 21 and 60.
"This operation also utilised an approach to identify victims of human trafficking, particularly those involved in forced labour or services, by following the National Guideline on Human Trafficking Indicators (NGHTI) 2.0," he said in a statement.
He said the factory's modus operandi involved processing scrap and steel materials through dismantling and burning, to create new steel and building materials.
During the raid, several foreign workers attempted to flee and hide within the vast factory area, he said.
"Nearly all the foreign workers were not provided with proper safety equipment, which could lead to injuries.
"They were detained on suspicion of committing offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Passport Act 1966.
"They are currently being held at the Kemayan Immigration Depot in Pahang for further investigation," he said.