KUALA LUMPUR – A total of 472 foreign nationals were detained during a large-scale immigration enforcement operation at Lebuh Pudu on 13 September, following inspections involving 2,500 people.
The Integrated Enforcement Operation, known as Ops Mega, was conducted by the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Immigration Department (JIM WPKL) and led by its state Immigration Director, Datuk Hamsha bin Injau.
The operation began at 11am and targeted business premises believed to employ or be operated by foreign nationals. A combined enforcement team of 337 officers took part in the exercise.
Of the personnel deployed, 218 were Immigration officers, while 119 officers came from several other government agencies.
The participating agencies included the Ministry of Health, National Registration Department, Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, Companies Commission of Malaysia, Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia, and Kuala Lumpur City Hall.
Authorities screened individuals at premises across the Lebuh Pudu area as part of the integrated operation. Following the checks, 472 foreign nationals were detained for suspected immigration offences.
The detainees, aged between 18 and 62, comprised 439 men and 33 women. Bangladeshis accounted for the largest group, with 364 men detained.
The second-largest group comprised 57 nationals from Myanmar, including 49 men and eight women. The operation also resulted in the detention of 18 Filipino women and eight Nepalese men.
Seven Pakistani nationals were detained, comprising six men and one woman, while seven Indonesians were also taken into custody, including two men and five women.
Six Indian men and three Chinese men were among those detained. The remaining detainees included one Zimbabwean woman and one Saudi Arabian man.
Immigration authorities identified several suspected offences during the operation. These included failing to possess valid identification documents, breaching conditions attached to immigration passes, overstaying in Malaysia and possessing cards that were not recognised by the authorities.
Other suspected violations of the Immigration Act were also recorded during the enforcement exercise. The department did not provide a separate breakdown of the 472 detainees according to each alleged offence.
All those detained were subsequently transferred to the Bukit Jalil Immigration Detention Depot in Kuala Lumpur. They are expected to undergo further investigation and action in accordance with the relevant immigration laws and procedures.
The operation also involved several agencies beyond immigration enforcement, reflecting a coordinated approach to inspections of business premises and foreign workers. Their participation covered areas falling within the respective responsibilities of health, registration, trade, corporate regulation, fire safety and local government enforcement.
JIM WPKL said enforcement action would continue against parties found to deliberately breach immigration regulations. The department said its approach would also cover employers, premises owners and individuals suspected of harbouring or employing undocumented foreign nationals.
At the same time, the department urged foreign nationals and employers to make use of the Migrant Repatriation Programme (PRM), which is scheduled to remain open until 31 May 2027.
The department said the programme provides an avenue for eligible migrants to return to their home countries before stronger enforcement measures are taken.
The Lebuh Pudu operation is among the latest large-scale enforcement exercises involving multiple government agencies in Kuala Lumpur.
The department said such action would continue as part of efforts to enforce Malaysia’s immigration requirements and address suspected violations involving foreign nationals and those employing or accommodating them.
