36,872 illegal immigrants deported since 'Ops Mega'

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 36,872 illegal immigrants have been deported to their respective country of origin since the launch of Ops Mega in January this year by the Immigration Department.
Deputy Director-General of Immigration, Datuk Shahril Ismail, said they were among the 115,711 foreigners inspected in 9,793 operations conducted nationwide.
"The immigration Department will continue to carry out such operations from time to time to track down immigrants who abuse their social visit pass and also violate the Immigration Act 1959," he said, adding that most of the illegal immigrants deported were from Indonesia, followed by Myanmar and Bangladesh.
He told this to reporters after a joint operation, Ops Niaga, with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) in the federal capital today.
Shahril advised the public, including employers, against harbouring illegal immigrants, adding that stern action would be taken against those caught doing so.
On Ops Niaga carried out at Low Yatt Plaza today, where he said 80 illegal immigrants were inspected, with 40 of them, including four women
found to have abused their social visit pass and without valid work permits.
He said three of the four women are from Myanmar, while the other an Indonesian.
The remaining 36 immigrants who were detained are from Bangladesh (16), Myanmar (10), Pakistan (six), and one each from Somalia, Sudan, Nigeria, and Papua New Guinea.
Meanwhile, CCM deputy chief executive officer (regulatory and enforcement) Nor Azimah Abdul Aziz said 68 premises were inspected during the operation at Low Yat Plaza, where 27 of the premises were issued with a notice for failing to display their business licence.
Also involved in the operation were the police, National Registration Department and the Enforcement Department of the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism. — Bernama