KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA February 6, 2026 – The Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM) conducted a joint enforcement operation codenamed Ops Selera and Ops Sapu at a well-known shopping centre in the Cheras area of Kuala Lumpur on the night of 5 February 2026. The operation successfully detained 152 foreign nationals for various immigration offences.
The operation, which began at 8:00 p.m., involved 112 officers of various ranks from the Immigration Department Headquarters in Putrajaya. It was led directly by Dato’ Lokman Effendi Ramli, Deputy Director General of Immigration (Operations).
Following public complaints and intelligence received, the enforcement team was deployed to the location and screened a total of 890 individuals, comprising 458 foreign nationals and 432 Malaysian citizens. As a result of the checks, 152 foreign nationals aged between 21 and 42 years were detained for committing immigration violations, including:
– Possession of no valid identification documents or travel documents,
– Breaching visa or pass conditions,
– Overstaying beyond the permitted period,
– Holding unrecognised identification cards, and
– Other offences under the relevant provisions of immigration law.
During the operation, several individuals attempted to flee upon noticing the presence of immigration officers. In addition, several business premises predominantly operated by foreigners were found to have monitoring systems or “door watchers” in place to provide early warnings to undocumented workers or occupants.
The Immigration Department stressed that enforcement operations of this nature will continue on an ongoing basis to detect, inspect, arrest, prosecute, and repatriate foreign nationals who violate immigration laws, including provisions under the Immigration Act 1959/63, Passports Act 1966, Immigration Regulations 1963, and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
JIM issued a strong warning to the public and employers not to harbour or employ Illegal Immigrants (PATI), as strict action will be taken in accordance with the law.
Members of the public who have information regarding the presence or activities of illegal immigrants are urged to promptly and confidentially forward complete details to the Immigration Department of Malaysia through official channels.
This operation underscores JIM’s continued commitment to safeguarding national borders and ensuring full compliance with immigration laws by all parties.
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