The Immigration Department has arrested 124 expatriates, including Bangladeshis, in a raid at Chowkit GM Plaza in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. The raid lasted about two hours on Monday (November 24) afternoon. The special operation was supported by the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), the Kuala Lumpur Consumer Affairs Department (KPDNKL) and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

Many foreigners tried to escape during the joint operation. Some hid inside the store, while others tried to escape by posing as customers. During the operation, authorities noticed some foreigners trying to escape using the emergency stairs and elevator.

Pakistani national Munir (47) was arrested in the operation. He showed his UN card, but it expired in October last year.

Munir said, "I have been living in Malaysia for six years, my family has eight members. Leave me alone, my family is sick. I was preparing to go to Canada."

A young man from Myanmar named Kamid (22) was also detained, unable to produce any valid documents. He said he came to Malaysia three months ago by paying 6,000 ringgit to an agent and is still unemployed.

Kuala Lumpur Immigration Director Wan Mohammad Sawpi Wan Yusuf said a total of 205 people were searched in the operation. Of these, 124 illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, India, Indonesia and Thailand, aged between 20 and 59, were detained. However, it is not known how many of them are Bangladeshis.

He said the charges include not having valid documents, not having travel documents, and having expired visas, which are offences under sections 6(1)(c) and 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act.

During the operation, DBKL issued closure notices to six compounds and one shop for operating without a license and employing foreign workers. The detained foreigners were taken to the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Office in Jalan Duta for questioning.