36 foreigners detained in Muar immigration raids, including at durian orchards

MUAR: Thirty-six foreigners, including Indonesians found at durian orchards, were detained during a pre-dawn immigration crackdown on businesses, homes and plantations here on Monday.

Johor Immigration Department enforcement officers carried out simultaneous raids from 3am, detaining the foreigners, aged between 16 and 54.

Its director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said the operation followed public tip-offs and intelligence gathered on premises suspected of employing or harbouring undocumented migrants.

He said enforcement officers from the department's Muar branch inspected 108 people, resulting in the detention of 36 foreigners and 2 Malaysian men believed to be premises managers.

The foreigners comprised 15 Indonesians, including two women; 10 Myanmar men and seven women; three Bangladeshi men; and a Vietnamese woman.

"The inspections targeted business premises, residential properties and durian orchards identified through intelligence as potentially employing or harbouring undocumented migrants," he said in a statement today.

Rusdi said all 36 foreigners were suspected of committing offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Immigration Regulations 1963, including overstaying, failing to possess valid travel documents and working without permits.

They were taken to the Pekan Nenas Immigration Depot.

Rusdi said witness summonses were issued to 3 individuals to assist with investigations.