Latest news with #ImmigrationDepartment
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
55-year-old woman charged with trafficking underage boy and girl
JOHOR BARU: A 55-year-old woman was charged in the Sessions Court here today with two counts of trafficking underage children last year. The accused, Haliza Palok, pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out by the court interpreter before Judge Thalha Bachok @ Embok Mok. According to the charge sheet, Haliza was alleged to have trafficked a boy, aged between 10 and 12, and a girl, aged between 13 and 15 by exploiting them for illegal activities under Section 5(1)(c) of the Children and Young Persons (Employment) Act. The alleged offence was committed at Jalan Kargo 2, Senai Airport City, Senai, at 6.54pm on Dec 19 last year. The charges were framed under Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 that carries a sentence of life imprisonment or a minimum of five years' jail and whipping upon conviction. Deputy public prosecutor from the Immigration Department, Tan Yen Thung, proposed bail of RM20,000 for each charge with two sureties. Tan also proposed the court impose additional conditions including monthly reporting to the Johor Immigration Office and surrendering the accused's international passport to the court. However, lawyer Amarpreet Singh Rajwinder Singh, representing the accused, requested minimal bail, stating that his client was unaware of being charged today and that both she and her husband were unemployed. The court later granted bail of RM17,000 for both charges with two guarantors, along with two additional conditions as proposed by the prosecution. The accused was also prohibited from interfering with prosecution witnesses. The case is fixed for mention on Aug 27 for the submission of documents.
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Mom of four charged with trafficking, exploiting children in Johor
JOHOR BARU: A 55-year-old woman has claimed trial to two counts of trafficking and exploiting underage children. The accused, Haliza Palok, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read before Sessions Court judge Thalha Bachok @ Embok Mok on Friday (May 30) here. In the first charge, Haliza was accused of trafficking a boy, estimated to be between 10 and 12 years old, and exploiting him for activities in violation of Section 5(1)(c) of the Children and Young Persons (Employment) Act 1966. For the second charge, she was accused of committing the same offence against a girl believed to be between 13 and 15 years old. She was alleged to have committed the offences at around 6.54pm on Dec 19 last year, at Jalan Kargo 2, Senai Airport City. The charges were framed under Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, which provides for life imprisonment or a minimum of five years' jail and whipping, upon conviction. The prosecution was led by Immigration Department deputy public prosecutor Tan Yen Thung, while Haliza was represented by Amarpreet Singh, who appeared on behalf of lawyer Mohd Amierul Sharafi Shahazan. Tan requested bail to be set at RM20,000 for each charge with two sureties and for the accused to surrender her passport and report to the department once a month. Amarpreet asked for a lower amount, citing that his client and her husband were currently unemployed. He added that the accused, a mother of four, suffers from hypertension and had not been informed earlier that she would be charged in court. 'The accused was only told to go to the Immigration office to give her statement. She and her family had only a few hours to prepare the bail money,' he said. Judge Thalha then set bail at RM17,000 in total with two sureties, and allowed the prosecution's additional conditions. She also instructed the accused not to contact or disturb the victims and fixed Aug 27 for the next mention. It is learnt that the two children, believed to be from the Philippines, were made to work at a battery factory. It was also learnt that the accused had allegedly acted as a middleperson who 'supplied' workers to businesses.
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Malay Mail
Selayang crackdown: Authorities raid 225 premises to weed out undocumented migrants
KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 — Authorities mounted raids on 225 residences and commercial units in Selayang Utara, near here last night in Op Kachi, to check illegal immigrants. Deputy director for the General Operations Force (GOF) of Bukit Aman's Internal Security and Public Order Department, Datuk Mohamad Suzrin Mohamad Rodhi, said 1,435 individuals were screened during the integrated operation, which began at 10.45pm and ended at 6am this morning. 'Myanmar nationals made up the highest count with 1,222 individuals, including 160 children, while the rest comprised citizens of India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Indonesia,' he said at a press conference following the operation. Mohamad Suzrin said the majority of them are workers at Selayang Wholesale Market and nearby businesses. He said that some of the illegal immigrants held United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards, adding that they were handed over to the Immigration Department for verification of the authenticity of the cards. He added that the individuals were also found to have committed various offences under laws enforced by the Immigration Department, the Energy Commission, the National Water Services Commission (SPAN), and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL). 'The offences included overstaying, lack of valid travel documents, electricity metres tampering, illegal water connections, and operating businesses without licences,' he said, adding that accommodations raided had been illegally modified to house a large number of occupants and have unauthorised utility connections. According to Mohamad Suzrin, the raids were mounted following public complaints regarding the large number of illegal immigrants in the area. Coordinated by the police, the operation also involved the Immigration Department, DBKL, the Energy Commission, SPAN, the Malaysian Civil Defence Force, St John Malaysia, and Tenaga Nasional Berhad, with a total of 560 personnel. — Bernama
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
48 foreign workers caught in immigration sweep at Seberang Prai factories
BUKIT MERTAJAM: The state Immigration Department arrested 48 foreign workers for various immigration offences during a raid on two electronics manufacturing factories on Wednesday, nearly forcing operations to a halt. The targeted operation, carried out by the Penang Immigration Department, found that the workers had either overstayed their visas or violated the terms of their work permits by working in sectors or companies not stated in their documents. State Immigration Department director Syamsul Fitri Ahmad said a total of 103 foreigners working at the two factories were screened during the raid. "All 48 detained foreigners, aged between 20 and 49, were from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, India and China," he said. He reminded employers to adhere strictly to employment laws when hiring foreign workers. "We will continue consistent enforcement efforts, especially in high-risk sectors," he added. Those arrested have been taken to the Juru Immigration depot for further investigation under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Police 'lock down' Selayang buildings, screen 1,435 foreigners
KUALA LUMPUR: A multi-agency raid led by federal police in Selayang saw two buildings "locked down" and 1,435 foreigners screened. The vast majority of those screened were from Myanmar, while others were from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Nepal. Some 160 were children. The raid, dubbed "Op Kachi", began at 10.45pm with 560 personnel, including those from the General Operations Force, Immigration Department, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, and Civil Defence Force, closing off all entry and exit points in Selayang Utara. Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department deputy director (General Operations Force) Datuk Mohamad Suzrin Mohamad Rodhi said 225 residential and business units in the two shoplot buildings were raided. "The operation was conducted following two weeks of surveillance based on complaints over the high number of undocumented foreigners in the area. "When we sprang into action last night, some of them even tried to evade our checks by climbing onto rooftops to hide," he told reporters at the scene today. Of those screened, 1,222 were from Myanmar, followed by Bangladesh (142), India (9), Indonesia (4), and Nepal (1). Suzrin said the Myanmar nationals comprised 702 men, 360 women, and 160 children. Many of them were Rohingya holding United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards. He added that the Immigration Department would verify the authenticity of the UNHCR cards. "I've been told that a number of them have been flagged, as scans of their cards yielded negative results. "They will be brought to the Immigration Department office in Putrajaya for further checks," he said. A number of foreigners were subsequently detained, though details were not immediately available. Suzrin said they would also be taking further action against those found employing foreigners without proper permits, as well as individuals providing shelter to undocumented migrants. He added that personnel from the Energy Commission, National Water Services Commission (SPAN), and Tenaga Nasional Berhad who joined the raid also uncovered illegal renovations and unauthorised water and electricity connections in the buildings. "Various offences have been detected under the Electricity Supply Act, Street, Drainage and Building Act, and Local Government Act. Further investigations and enforcement action will be taken by the relevant authorities," he said. This is the second time Bukit Aman has launched a crackdown by locking down an entire area known to be populated by foreigners. In December 2023, over 1,000 officers and members of the GOF surrounded the "Mini Dhaka" area in Jalan Silang.
