PUTRAJAYA: The first day of “Ops Mega” – a nationwide operation by the Immigration Department to crack down on illegal foreign workers following the passing of the E-Card registration deadline yesterday – has already netted 1,035 immigrants and 16 local employers.
Its director-general Datuk Mustafar Ali said the latest figure was provided by the Immigration Department at 1pm.
He added that the arrests were made at various locations throughout the country beginning midnight last night.
Mustafar said a total of 3,393 people were screened at 155 premises.
"Out of the 1,035 illegal immigrants (rounded up), Bangladeshis make up the (majority at) 515 people, followed by people of various nationalities at 226, and Indonesians at 135,” he added.
Yesterday, Mustafar said the department was standing firm on its decision not to extend the deadline for E-Card application as the registration drive was launched on Feb 15.
In Kuala Terengganu, a married couple were among 36 foreigners detained by the Immigration Department in an operation at Batu Burok in the city and Binjai Rendah in Marang today.
Its assistant director Azlinawati Mohd Zulbi said the husband and wife were among 65 foreign workers screened during 'Ops Ikrar', following the passing of the Enforcement Card (E-Card) registration deadline last night.
Earlier today, the department launched a nationwide operation to weed out illegal foreign workers and nab errant employers.
Azlinawati said among the offences committed by those detained include failure to produce valid identification document, overstaying and entering the country without an entry permit.
The foreigners were being investigated under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Amendment 2002) and for violating their visit passes under Section 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963.
The three-hour operation involved 15 officers and those arrested were sent to the department’s detention centre in Ajil, Hulu Terengganu.
Azlinawati said up till midnight of June 30, a total of 1,836 foreigners workers without work permits and 416 employers had applied for the E-Card.
“However, 35 applicants were turned down for not fulfilling conditions,” she said, adding that Terengganu had an estimated 2,000 foreign workers without valid work permits. Additional reporting by Adrian David