KAPIT: A pre-dawn immigration sweep led to the arrest of 41 undocumented foreign nationals after officers uncovered them staying in the country without valid documents during a targeted enforcement operation.
The operation, codenamed ‘Ops Sapu’, was carried out by the Sarawak Immigration Department’s Special Action Team in collaboration with the Kapit Immigration Office, following intelligence-led surveillance on suspected immigration offenders in the area.
Conducted from as early as 3.30 am until 12.15pm, Wednesday (Feb 4), the operation saw 10 immigration officers deployed across identified hotspots to track down individuals believed to be in the country illegally.
A total of 121 foreigners – 116 men and five women – were screened with officers carrying out detailed checks on travel documents and immigration passes.
Of the figure, 41 individuals comprising 40 men and one woman were taken into custody for allegedly entering and remaining in Malaysia without valid documents, an offence under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
The department said enforcement efforts will be intensified to ensure compliance with immigration laws, adding that public cooperation remains vital.
Members of the public are urged to report the presence of suspicious foreigners to enable swift action in safeguarding national security and sovereignty.
