During the same period, he said the department also inspected a total of 9,169 foreigners and deported 1,497 illegal immigrants back to their respective countries.

The department also arrested 42 employers for employing illegal immigrants.

“Employers found to be employing illegal immigrants can be punished under the Immigration Act, including the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (Atipsom) 2007,” he told a press conference after participating in a raid at the Baiduri Apartment, Taman Tasik Kesuma Beranang, Semenyih, Kajang, last night.

On the operation at the Baiduri Apartment, Ruslin said the location was one of the 220 illegal immigration hotspots on the department’s radar.

In the operation at midnight, 752 foreigners were checked and the 561 immigrants detained were from Bangladesh (205), Myanmar (200), Nepal (65), Indonesia (43), Pakistan (38), Sri Lanka (3), two each from Cambodia, India and Sierra Leone, as well as a Cameroon national.

The illegal immigrants, aged between three months and 55, had overstayed and had no travel documents.