Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department director Hamidi Adam said the raid was conducted at 11.30pm following complaints from local residents that many foreigners were living in crowded conditions in the apartment.

The operation was conducted by 92 officers and personnel of the department with the cooperation of seven Labour Department officers as well as 18 enforcement personnel of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

“A total of 425 foreigners living in the apartment were inspected. From that number, 203 men and two women were picked up for overstaying and not holding any employment documents.

“The arrests were made under Section 15(1)(c) and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/ 63 (Act 155),” he told reporters after the operation at the Ixora Apartment.

Hamidi said those held were aged between 20 and 49. They comprised Bangladeshis, Indonesians, Myanmars and Nepalese, with most of them working at construction sites around the area.

On the complaints from residents, Hamidi said they found that most of the foreign workers lived in comfortable conditions with only two to three persons to a room and it was not as crowded as reported.

He said all detained foreigners were later brought to the Immigration Department in Putrajaya for further documentation.