A total of 1,368 illegal immigrants were arrested for various offences in a mass operation around the Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market, Selayang on Monday.

According to Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) director-general, Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud, the operation at 6.30 am was attended by 1,136 officers from various agencies.

He said, the operation covered the entire zone within the Pusat Bandar Utara Kuala Lumpur area under the Enhanced Movement Control Order 6 (EMCO 6).

"A total of 7,551 foreigners were examined and as a result, 1,368 were detained and taken for documentation in the JIM Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Duta.

"The detainees are from various nationalities including Myanmar (790), Indonesia (421), India (54), Pakistan (6) and Bangladesh (78).

"The total number of detainees are 1,009 men, 261 women and 98 boys and girls," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Commenting further, Khairul Dzaimee said that all foreigners under investigation and those detained had been confirmed negative of COVID-19 by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH).

"Among the offences identified were missing identification documents, overstaying, possessing false documents (pass/ permit) and other offences that violated the Immigration Act.

"All of them will be investigated under the Trafficking in Persons (ATIPSOM) Act, Immigration Act 1959/63, Passport Act 1966 and Immigration Regulations 1963," he said.

He added that they would all be deported to their home countries after being sentenced and blacklisted for entering Malaysia forever.

Among the agencies involved in the operations were the Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM), Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), Department of Volunteers Malaysia (RELA), Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), Civil Defence Force (APM), Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH), National Security Council (MKN) and the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia (JBPM).