IPOH - Two children were among 59 foreigners detained by the Perak Immigration Department (JIM) in an operation around a fishing jetty in Hutan Melintang early yesterday morning.
State Immigration Department director Hapdzan Husaini said the foreigners, aged between seven and 55, were from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar.
He said a total of 61 foreigners were screened during the operation at around 1 am, and 59 of them were found to be committing immigration-related offences, while two were handed over to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) for further investigation.
During the operation, some of the illegal immigrants tried to escape by jumping into the sea and hiding in bushes after realising the presence of enforcement officers, but we managed to arrest them, Hapdzan said in a statement today.
The operation, which was mounted by 35 officers from the Perak JIM Enforcement Division and assisted by 26 members from the Putrajaya JIM Intelligence and Special Operations Division as well as 30 MMEA personnel, ended at 4 am.
Hapdzan said all the 59 foreigners detained during the operation were being investigated under Section 6(1)(c) and Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Rule 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963. - BERNAMA