Foreigners jump into river but fail to escape Immigration's clutches

JITRA: A Bangladeshi and a Myanmar national darted and jump into a river behind their house in Kampung Bendahara, Kodiang to escape the clutches of Kedah Immigration Department enforcement officers early today but to no avail.
State immigration director, Zuhair Jamaludin said prior to the incident, the duo aged 35 and 38, were fast asleep and caught off guard in the 2am operation dubbed 'Ops Mega', which was conducted in Tunjang here and Kodiang.
"We managed to arrest them after they attempted to escape on foot. Further inspection revealed that both did not possess any valid travel document. They are being investigated under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63," he said when contacted here today.
Zuhair said 26 out of 162 foreigners, aged between two and 40, were picked up for various immigration offences in the 10-hour operation which began at 5pm yesterday.
In the first raid, a man, believed to be an employer, was detained along with four Thai women who were allegedly working at a restaurant in Kampung Lama here.
Zuhair also said the department hauled up a man and three Thai women, believed to be workers, at a restaurant in Taman Sera, Kodiang.
In the third raid at a restaurant in Kampung Masjid Lama in Kodiang, the team picked up a man and four Thai women for allegedly harbouring foreigners and misusing their social visit pass.
"We also raided two houses in Kampung Kubang Chenok, Padang Sera and detained 10 Myanmar nationals who did not have any valid travel documents," he said.
Zuhair said the foreigners would be taken to the Belantik Immigration Detention Depot in Sik. — Bernama