The issue came to light following the arrest of three Cambodian men and two Thai men by the Immigration Department, the Johor Bahru District Social Welfare Department, and the Johor State Islamic Religious Department yesterday evening.
Johor immigration director Baharuddin Tahir said in addition to the five foreigners, an Indonesian man and a woman who operated stalls at the night market were also arrested in the 6.30 pm operation.
"Some of them are disabled. These people can earn up to RM300 a day or RM10,000 a month," he said in a statement today, adding that they were between 34 and 63 years old.
Baharuddin said all of them are believed to have contravened Section 6 (1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155) for not possessing valid passports or permits to be in Malaysia and Rule 39 (b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963 for violating visa conditions.
In another operation, public tip-offs led to the detention of 40 foreigners suspected of working without valid permits and overstaying in Malaysia were picked up in an operation around the state on Jan 29 and yesterday, said Baharuddin.
"A total of 353 individuals were checked, out of which 40 were arrested. There were nine Nepalese men, five Bangladeshi men, Indonesians (one man and two women), and Myanmar nationals (15 men and four women).
"Also arrested were two men and a woman from India, and a man from Cambodia. All of them are between 21 and 49 years old," he said.
Baharuddin said they are being investigated under Section 6(1)(c) and the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155) for not possessing valid passports or permits to be in the country.
They were also found to have contravened Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155) for overstaying and Rule 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963 for violating visa conditions, he added.
-- BERNAMA
