KOTA BARU: The state Immigration Department detained 56 illegal immigrants for various offences in a two-day operation which ended today.
The department's deputy director (management) Nik Akhtsrulhaq Nik Abdul Rahman said the 56 were arrested in the operations conducted in Machang and Kota Baru.
He said the operation which began at 11am yesterday, involved 18 immigration officers.
"Based on public tip-offs, the immigration officers conducted checks at several villages in the two districts.
"The villages included Kampung Lebar Kemumin, Kampung Merbau Chondong and Pulai Chondong.
"In this operation, we managed to detain 48 immigrants from Bangladesh, seven from Indonesia and one from Nepal," he said in a statement.
He said the illegal immigrants, aged between 23 to 50, comprised 53 men and three women.
They were found to have violated the Immigration Act for entering Malaysia without valid travel documents and overstaying.
"All the immigrants have been sent to our department's detention centre in Tanah Merah," he added.