JOHOR DEPT GETTING LOTS OF TIP-OFFS
State Immigration director says Johoreans regularly give info on illegals’ whereabouts
JOHOR’S Immigration Department has been receiving regular tipoffs and information on the whereabouts of illegal immigrants in the state, thanks to public support.
State Immigration Department director Datuk Rohaizi Bahari said this year, the department had intercepted information for about 2,000 cases related to illegal immigrants that came in the form of WhatsApp messages, photographs, letters and emails.
“The public has been helpful in providing us with information that help resolve cases involving illegal immigrants and so far, all of them have been checked out.
“They sent letters, emails and WhatsApp messages to our intelligence department. From there, our enforcers conduct checks to verify the information,
“Some of the information are also from government agencies, such as the Public Complaints Bureau and Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission,” he told the New Straits Times.
Rohaizi said based on the information received, operations or raids would be conducted to nab illegal immigrants at places, such as factories, construction sites, food courts, eateries, and rumah kongsi settlements.
He said the majority of the illegals were from Indonesia, which made up between 30 to 40 per cent of the arrests.
This was followed by illegal migrants from Bangladesh, Nepal and India.
Rohaizi said between January to August, the department had screened 2,869 people. Out of that, 880 of them were illegals, while another 23 were those who had committed immigration offences.
He urged employers and foreigners to take up the 3-plus-1 programme, which will end on Dec 31. He said between Jan 1 and July 31, 19,882 people took part in the 3-plus-1 programme in Johor, and 25 per cent of them took up the offer in July following the closing date for the Enforcement Card. “