43 illegal immigrants detained at construction site

GEORGE TOWN: Forty-three illegal immigrants, including two pregnant women and a four-year-old Myanmar boy, were detained in a raid at a construction site in Batu Ferringhi.

They were picked up at 10am yesterday in an operation, codenamed Ops Serantau, by 50 police, Rela and Immigration Department personnel.

State Traffic and Public Order chief Supt Wan Aziz Wan Hussain said 32 of the foreigners were men — 15 Myanmar nationals, nine Bangladeshis and eight Indonesians — while 10 were women of whom one was a runaway maid.

Big swoop: Police, Rela and immigration officers rounding up the iilegal immigrants at the construction site in Batu Ferringhi Friday.

Supt Wan Aziz said three of the foreigners had overstayed, one had forged documents while the rest did not have any identification documents or work permits.

Meanwhile, enforcement authorities have begun efforts to rid Batu Ferringhi of unlicensed traders, illegal operators of water sports, and pirated DVD and counterfeit goods stalls.

More than 100 officers from the police force and relevant agencies combed the tourist belt in an operation codenamed Ops Sepadu from 3pm yesterday but found the area almost free of illegal activities.

“The beach boys, touts and illegal operators knew we were coming, so most of the shops remained closed.

“This is good. We will continue to monitor the beach. Our joint operations will not be a one-off thing,” said George Town OCPD Asst Comm Gan Kong Meng.