Bangladeshis among 123 undocumented workers held in Malaysia

At least 123 undocumented Asian workers, including several Bangladeshis, were detained during a raid by Malaysian immigration officers at a plastic factory in Johor on November 14, following weeks of surveillance.

During the operation, some workers tried to flee and hide inside storage areas, but enforcement teams from the Johor Immigration Department and the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency sealed all exits before rounding them up.

Officials said the detainees, men and women aged between 20 and 48, are from Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, India and Pakistan.

All were found working without valid permits and have been sent to the Setia Tropika Immigration Depot for further investigation, reports The Straits Times.

Johor State Immigration Director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said the factory had been under watch after intelligence suggested it was employing a high number of undocumented workers.

A local staff member serving as the factory's human resources officer was also arrested for allegedly facilitating illegal hiring.

The state immigration director warned that employers harbouring undocumented migrants remain a key enforcement target. "Intensified operations will continue to curb abuse of foreign labour," he added.