36,400 illegals nabbed nationwide this year

KOTA KINABALU: The Immigration Department has nabbed 36,400 illegal immigrants (PTI) nationwide from January 1 to October 12 this year.

Disclosing this here yesterday, Immigration director-general Dato’ Seri Hj Mustafar bin Hj Ali said a total of 11,632 operations were carried out against PTIs in Malaysia this year.

“We have inspected 149,000 foreigners, 36,400 of whom have been detained for overstaying and not possessing documents, passport or other reasons,” he said at a press conference here yesterday.

At the same time, Mustafar said the department had detained 1,035 employees who hired and harboured illegal foreign workers, most of whom have been charged.

He said most of the PTIs came from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand and other countries.

He added that the department had also deported 185,066 PTIs back to their home countries during the same period of time.

Further, Mustafar said the Immigration Department had taken action on thousands of individuals involved in offering sex services through WeChat in Peninsular Malaysia, including the local and foreign masterminds behind the operations.

He said the department would continue to hunt down those involved in vice activities with the cooperation of various government enforcement agencies, including the police.