JOHOR BAHARU, Oct 31 – The Johor Immigration Department arrested 71 illegal immigrants in a raid at a construction site on Jalan Penjiranan Kampung Dato Onn here on Tuesday. State Immigration Deputy Assistant Director Rashidin Rahmat said they comprised 56 Indonesians, Myanmar nationals and Bangladeshis (five each), Vietnamese (four) and one Nepali aged between 20 and 48.
“We were arrested at 2.45 am while sleeping at the ‘rumah kongsi’ or hostel on the construction site. When they realised the presence of the authorities, some of them tried to hide in the cupbaords, under the bed, or attempted to escape. However, their actions were futile because the rumah kongsi had been cordoned off with a total of 50 personnel and officers of the Johor Immigration Enforcement Division,” he said when contacted here on Friday.
Rashidin Rahmat said that the authorities had been took action after receiving complaints from the public on the increasing number of the foreigners in the area. In additional, he said all the immigrants were taken to the Setia Tropika Immigration Office here for further action.
