Kuala Terengganu: A total of 603 illegal immigrants have been detained in 260 operations carried out by the Terengganu Immigration Department from January 1 until today. Its director, Mohd Yusri Mohd Nor, reported the arrests following checks on 3,381 foreign nationals for various violations under the Immigration Act 1959/63.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, during the same period, 24 employers faced penalties through compounds, fines, and court charges for harbouring and employing foreign workers without valid authorisation. The majority of those detained are from Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Myanmar, as stated by Mohd Yusri after the Migrant Repatriation 2.0 (PRM 2.0) operation at three factories in Kuala Nerus and Kuala Terengganu.

Mohd Yusri highlighted that this year, the department would focus on enforcement actions against employers under the PRM 2.0 programme, extended until April 30 next year. This initiative aims to ensure that employers only hire non-citizens who have valid documents and possess all necessary paperwork to avoid legal repercussions.

He further mentioned that last year, 26 employers were issued compounds amounting to RM270,000 for violating immigration regulations.