ILLEGAL NILAI SETTLEMENT RAIDED
The place, located deep in thick jungle, even had makeshift school, generators for power supply
AN illegal settlement housing immigrants without valid documents was raided in a joint operation led by the Negri Sembilan Immigration Department early yesterday morning.
The settlement is located about 1.2km from the main road in Nilai Springs, Nilai here.
Negri Sembilan Immigration Department director Kennith Tan Ai Kiang said the settlement of illegal immigrants was built on uneven, swamp land that was surrounded by metal shards and shrapnel, with wild dogs roving around.
“The operations team had to walk about 1.2km, through the thick jungle, before finally arriving at the location.
“After a month of surveillance and intelligence gathering, we found that the illegal settlement even has a makeshift school with learning syllabus from a neighbouring country’s education system. It was also equipped with a few units of generators as sources of electricity,” said Tan in a statement here yesterday.
In the operation that began at 1.30am and aided by the General Operations Force, the National Registration Department and the Civil Defence Force, 67 illegal immigrants were detained.
Tan said they were aged between two months and 72, and made up of 11 men, 20 women, 20 boys and 16 girls.
“They have been living in the illegal settlement to evade detection and further action from the relevant authorities.
“When the raid was carried out, some of the illegal immigrants attempted to escape to evade arrest by the immigration officers.
“In fact, some of them even turned aggressive just to avoid being caught,” he said.
Tan said among the offences identified were not having valid identification documents, overstaying, and other offences in breach of the Immigration Act 1959/63, the Passport Act of 1966 and the Immigration Rules and Regulation 1963.
He said they also found a few sharp objects and weapons such as spears and machetes at the illegal settlement.
“All detainees have been moved to the Lenggeng Immigration Depot for further investigation and action.”
Tan added that the operation was carried out based on complaints and information from members of the public, who were concerned about their safety.
“The Negri Sembilan Immigration Department is in the midst of ascertaining whether the illegal settlement is on a privately owned land or a state government land that was illegally explored and occupied,” he said.