Bintulu immigration blitz nets 17 illegals, majority children
BINTULU (Aug 13): Immigration enforcement officers detained 17 illegal immigrants, 11 of whom are children, in an operation targeting rental houses here yesterday.
The Sarawak Immigration Department Security Monitoring and Enforcement Unit's (UPKP) Ops Sapu from 6am to 3pm involved seven officers and two locations identified through prior intelligence gathering.
'Those arrested comprised four adult women, two adult men, and 11 children aged between one month and 12 years. Of the total, 13 were Filipinos while four were Indonesians,' the department said in a Facebook post.
According to the department, the suspects were found to have violated provisions under Section 15(1)(c) and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
'Initial investigations revealed they had entered Sarawak via unrecognised entry points, allegedly facilitated by local agents charging between RM2,000 and RM3,000 per person,' said the department.
The adult detainees will be sent to the Bekenu Immigration Depot, while the children and their guardians will be placed at Baitul Mahabbah Bekenu, which offers a more suitable environment for minors in custody.
The department said it would continue to step up enforcement operations to curb the presence of illegal immigrants and safeguard the state's security and sovereignty.
It also called on the public to channel information on illegal immigrants to the nearest immigration office. Bintulu illegal immigrants Immigration Department lead
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