49 illegal iImmigrants nabbed in Kota Kinabalu

KOTA KINABALU, Jan 28  -- The Sabah Immigration Department detained 49 illegal immigrants during integrated operations carried out on Tuesday.

Its director, Datuk Dr Muhamad Sade Mohamad Amin, said 29 illegal immigrants were from the Philippines while the other 20 were from Indonesia.

“The operations started at 11.50 pm and ended at 2 am, and involved the squatter houses built on government land and Taman Bunga Sulaman, Kota Kinabalu,” he said in a statement here today.

He said those detained were suspected of committing various offences, including Section 6 (1) (c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for entering the country without a passport or valid pass, and Section 15 (1) (c) of the same law for overstaying.

Muhamad Sade said a total of 114 individuals were inspected in the operations which involved 101 personnel from various departments, including the Immigration Department, the Royal Malaysia Police and the People's Volunteer Corps (RELA).

Those detained were placed at the Papar Immigration Depot’s quarantine and transit centre before being deported to their respective countries.

He stressed that the main objective of the operation is to weed out illegal immigrants who set up settlements on government land or land owned by individuals.

“The department is requesting the cooperation of the public to report any settlement which accommodated illegal immigrants near their residential areas,” he said.

-- BERNAMA