Twenty-five of them were arrested yesterday in a commercial area that has come to be known as “Little Dhaka” in Taman Tampoi Indah here.

In Batu Pahat, 19 were arrested at rented houses and 14 Indonesians were detained for working illegally at a college food court in Segamat.

State immigration director Rusdi Darus said 16 Indians, five Sri Lankans, two Indonesian men and a woman, and a Bangladeshi were detained in the raid on Little Dhaka at about 11am yesterday. They are aged between 21 and 55.

The department also arrested 17 Indonesians and two Bangladeshis at rented houses around Batu Pahat on Monday and Tuesday following complaints about many foreigners living in the neighbourhood, causing discomfort to local residents.

“Initial investigations found that these foreigners were renting several houses around Yong Peng, paying RM200 to RM250 each per month,” he said.

Those detained were between the ages of 22 and 52.

He said the department also arrested 14 Indonesians, who were believed to have misused their passes, at the food court of a college in Segamat last Wednesday.

There were public complaints regarding the food court’s workers. Several vendors were found to have employed foreign workers without valid passes or permits and were operating their business without a licence.

The detainees are aged between 18 and 49.