MIRI: A night of laughter and music faded into panic when Immigration officers stormed an entertainment outlet before extending their raid to a shared residence, resulting in 33 foreigners being hauled up.
The back-to-back raids, codenamed ‘Ops Gegar’ and ‘Ops Pintu’, were conducted by the Sarawak Immigration Department’s Security and Enforcement Monitoring Unit (UPKP) between Oct 24 and 25, targeting hotspots believed to harbour undocumented migrants.
Chaos erupted as officers moved in on the outlet, checking patrons’ identification and travel documents.
The operations later shifted to a residential area where several foreigners were found packed in shared rooms.
In total, 60 individuals were screened in the raids, with 33 – seven men and 26 women – detained for various immigration offences, including overstaying and failing to produce valid permits.
All detainees were arrested under Sections 6(1)(c) and 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, and taken to the Miri Immigration Office for further investigation.
The department said the operation reflects its firm commitment to eradicating illegal immigrants and ensuring community safety.
Similar enforcement actions will continue regularly to prevent anyone from exploiting immigration loopholes.
Members of the public are urged to report any information regarding undocumented migrants to assist enforcement agencies in maintaining order and security.
