Malaysian immigration authorities have detained 109 foreign nationals, including Bangladeshis, during two separate operations in Ipoh, the capital of Perak state. The detainees comprise 75 men and 34 women, with Bangladeshi nationals among the men arrested.
The operations were conducted from Saturday night into the early hours of Sunday, covering an entertainment centre, four massage parlours and a wholesale market in Ipoh. The raids were part of the Malaysian authorities’ continuing efforts to enforce immigration laws and investigate suspected violations involving foreign nationals.
Datuk Lokman Effendi Ramli, deputy director-general of operations at the Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM), said 66 personnel took part in the operations. The team included officers from the Perak state immigration department, members of the department’s special operations and intelligence divisions based in Putrajaya, and police personnel.
Raids target entertainment venues and wholesale market
According to Lokman Effendi Ramli, the first operation, code-named ‘Op Gegar’, began at 9pm on Saturday. Officers checked the identity documents and immigration status of 70 foreign nationals at an entertainment centre and four massage parlours. Thirty-four women were detained during the operation. They were identified as nationals of Thailand and Vietnam.
A second raid began at 1.30am on Sunday at a wholesale market in Ipoh. Immigration officers examined the documents of 77 foreign nationals and detained 75 men. Those arrested included citizens of Myanmar, Bangladesh, Laos and Indonesia.
Across the two operations, officers checked 147 foreign nationals and detained 109. The department has not disclosed the exact number of Bangladeshi citizens among those arrested.
Several foreign nationals reportedly attempted to flee during the operations. However, immigration personnel managed to apprehend them, according to the department’s deputy director-general.
Suspected immigration offences
The detainees are suspected of committing several immigration-related offences, including failing to possess valid travel documents, remaining in Malaysia after their visas or authorised periods of stay had expired, and misusing permits or passes issued by the authorities.
The alleged offences fall under Malaysia’s Immigration Act 1959/63 and Immigration Regulations 1963. The detainees have been taken to the Perak state immigration department’s office for further legal proceedings.
Five employers have also been issued summonses in connection with the case. They have been instructed to appear before the department’s enforcement division to assist with the investigation. The authorities have not released further details of the allegations against the employers.
The cases will proceed through the relevant legal channels. Detention on suspicion of an immigration offence does not, by itself, establish guilt; the allegations must be dealt with through the applicable investigative and legal procedures.
More than 66,000 foreign nationals detained nationwide
The Ipoh raids form part of a wider immigration enforcement campaign across Malaysia. Lokman Effendi Ramli said the immigration department conducted more than 11,000 operations nationwide between 1 January and 25 October 2026.
During that period, authorities checked the identities and documentation of approximately 150,000 foreign nationals. More than 66,000 were detained, according to figures released by the department.
Of those detained, more than 41,000 were apprehended directly through immigration department enforcement operations. A further 24,000-plus were detained or transferred by other law enforcement agencies, intercepted at the country’s entry points or taken into custody during other operations.
The department also reported that more than 45,000 foreign nationals had been repatriated to their respective countries after the necessary legal procedures were completed. Proceedings involving others remain ongoing, with the immigration department and relevant authorities continuing to handle their cases.
Implications for Bangladeshi migrant workers
Malaysia employs foreign nationals across a range of industries, and compliance with immigration and employment requirements remains an important issue for both workers and employers. Foreign nationals must ensure that their passports, visas, work permits and other relevant documents remain valid and that they comply with the conditions attached to their authorisation to stay and work.
The arrests in Ipoh serve as a reminder to Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia to keep their documentation up to date and seek the appropriate official guidance when renewing permits or resolving immigration-related problems. Employers also have responsibilities concerning the legal status and documentation of the workers they recruit.
However, the precise number of Bangladeshis detained in the Ipoh operations and the individual circumstances of their cases have not been made public.
The latest enforcement figures offer an indication of the scale of Malaysia’s immigration operations, including document checks, detentions and repatriations. The outcome of the Ipoh investigation will depend on the evidence gathered and the legal procedures followed by the relevant authorities.
