JOHOR BARU: The Johor Immigration Department has arrested three male immigrants for running a foreign workers management agency without approval from the Labour Department.
State Immigration Department director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said those arrested were Pakistani nationals aged between 28 and 50 during a raid at a double-story shop lot in Permas Jaya here at around 2pm last Thursday (July 4).
“We have successfully smashed a syndicate for supplying and employing foreign workers without approval issued by the Labour Department.
“The success of this raid came from a six-month-long intelligence gathering following public complaints about the involvement of foreigners behind this operation,” he said in a statement here on Monday (July 8).
Mohd Rusdi added that the main suspect behind the company’s operation is a 28-year-old man who claimed to have two Malaysian wives.
He also said an initial investigation found that the company, which has since been seized, was registered using a female Malaysian name who allegedly was the suspect’s second wife.
“The company is fully managed by the main suspect while the two other Pakistani nationals admitted to be working under him and have paid RM7,000 to get temporary work visit passes.
“We also seized 35 Pakistani passports, two Indian passports, a Bangladeshi passport, an Indonesian passport and a Myanmar passport at the scene.
“The department also seized several files which contained proof of salary payments, employment offers, supply worker agreements, passport copies and temporary work permits,” he added.
In an unrelated case, Mohd Rusdi said the department also carried out raids around Johor Baru, Batu Pahat and Mersing last Monday (July 1) until last Wednesday (July 3).
He added the raids at 37 premises including shop lots and restaurants led to the arrest of 86 illegal immigrants and one Malaysian employer.
“We detained 41 Myanmar nationals including two females, 32 Indonesians including seven females, three Sri Lankans including a female, three male Thai nationals, three male Pakistanis, two male Bangladeshis, and two male Indian nationals between 19 and 54 years.
“The department also detained a 53-year-old local male, who is a restaurant owner in Batu Pahat, for hiring illegal immigrants,” he said adding that the department would continue to carry out operations against illegal immigrants.
