Ops Mahir Uncovers Misuse Of Work Passes, 62 Illegal Immigrants Held

PUTRAJAYA, April 22 (Bernama) -- The Immigration Department has uncovered the misuse of Temporary Employment Visit Passes (PLKS) in the illegal hiring of foreign workers following Ops Mahir in Shah Alam and Puchong yesterday.

Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said initial investigations found some foreign workers were using PLKS issued under other companies and working at premises different from those registered under their original employers.

"The department does not rule out the possibility of a wider network, and further investigations are actively being carried out to trace and take firm action against all parties involved," he said in a statement today.

Two premises were inspected involving 112 individuals, with 62 illegal immigrants detained for various immigration offences comprising 56 Bangladeshis, four Nepalese, one Indian and one Indonesian.

Zakaria said among the offences detected were not possessing valid identification documents, overstaying and misuse of passes under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Immigration Regulations 1963.

He said three witness summonses (Form 29) were also issued, while all detainees were sent to the Semenyih and KLIA Immigration Depots for documentation and further action.

The operation involved 66 immigration officers and 12 National Registration Department officers, targeting the industrial and logistics sectors identified as high-risk areas.

-- BERNAMA