KUCHING: Authorities engaged in ‘Ops Sapu’ operations have rounded up 459 illegal immigrants so far.
Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said one of the issues was illegal immigrants and many had been found positive for Covid-19.
“Recently, one in Sri Aman was placed in the detention centre and later found positive for Covid-19.
“Hence, we (SDMC) have instructed the Immigration Department and relevant agencies to launch an operation codenamed ‘Ops Sapu’, and from Jan 1 to date, 459 have been arrested,” he said during the Covid-19 daily update press conference.
Of the figure, 365 are Indonesians, 56 are Bangladeshis, 23 are Filipinos, 12 are Indians and three Pakistanis.
Uggah said all of them were arrested at bus terminals, eateries, airports, construction sites, business premises, markets, residential houses, rental houses, shared houses, public areas, grocery stores, fish markets, nurseries and landscaping premises.
They were arrested in a series of enforcement operations carried out periodically around Kuching, Serian, Sri Aman, Sarikei, Daro, Sibu, Bintulu, Miri, Limbang and Lawas, and Ops Jala in Kuching. All of them have been handed over to the Health Ministry.
“To the employers who are aware that there are undocumented individuals working for them, please hand them over to the relevant authorities.
“The committee will take stern action, and we have been told that the police have issued summonses to the employers found harbouring illegal immigrants.”
Meanwhile, in ‘Ops Benteng’, Uggah said the army deported five Indonesians from two locations – four at Kampung Sungai Beruang, Balai Ringin and one in Tapang Plutan.
This brings the total number of deportations carried out from Jan 1 until 21 to 58 people.
On compounds issued to errant individuals for not complying with standard operating procedure guidelines, the police issued five compounds in Kota Samarahan, two in Matu Daro, and one each in Kuching and Padawan.
Apart from that, the Ministry of Local Government issued 102 verbal, written, and seizure warnings in areas under the supervision of various local councils.
