KUALA LUMPUR - An apartment building in Taman Bukit Cheras, Kuala Lumpur was raided by the Malaysian Immigration Department early on Saturday morning.
The Kuala Lumpur Director of Immigration, Syamsul Badrin Mohsin, said that the operation, which took place around 1 am, targeted 600 foreign nationals in three blocks of the apartment complex.
He stated that out of the total, 425 immigrants aged between eight and 54 years were arrested for not having valid travel documents.
"The arrests included 371 men, 53 women, and one male child.
"The apprehended individuals consisted of 30 Indonesians, 252 Bangladeshis, 108 Myanmar nationals, two Filipinos, seven Pakistanis, six Cambodians, and 20 Nepalis," he said when interviewed at the operation site on Saturday.
The immigrants ranged in age from eight to 54 years old.
The raid was conducted following complaints from residents who were concerned about the large number of undocumented foreigners in the area.
The undocumented individuals tried various tricks to escape, including hiding under tables and inside cupboards.
However, the immigration officers were able to apprehend them all.
During the investigation, several detainees admitted to renting the three-room apartments from locals at rates ranging from RM700 to RM900 per unit.
The majority of the apprehended immigrants were holders of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards and were involved in various sectors, including cleaning and construction work.
The cases are being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963.