BUTTERWORTH: The atmosphere at Penang Sentral here turned tensed when the Penang Immigration Department carried out a surprise operation to nab illegal immigrants.
Several passengers tried to flee the scene at the bus station which was packed due to the Chinese New Year holidays when they sensed the presence of enforcement officers while many seemed puzzled about the commotion.
Penang Immigration Operations Division chief Izham Idris said 976 foreigners were inspected in the five-hour operation which began at 9am.
“Seventy illegal immigrants were arrested for various offences, including failing to submit travel documents or valid visit passes, as well as for overstaying and misusing their visit passes,“ he said here today.
Those arrested comprised 24 men and three women from Myanmar, 24 Bangladeshi men, 10 Indonesians including five women, a man and three women from Vietnam, four Nepali men and a man from India. — Bernama
