KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 — Overstaying accounted for the most court cases brought against foreigners arrested during Immigration Department (JIM) operations in the federal capital last year.

Kuala Lumpur JIM director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff said that a total of 2,092 prosecutions were recorded against detained foreigners last year, with 1,342 cases involving overstaying offences under Section 15(4) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

He said other offences that frequently faced court action included having no travel documents (663 cases) and harbouring illegal immigrants (34 cases).

“Other offences were violating pass conditions, holding travel documents belonging to others, and illegal return,” he said when contacted here today.

Wan Mohammed Saupee said that during the same period, the Kuala Lumpur JIM detained 4,428 illegal immigrants through 701 enforcement operations.

“The highest number of arrests involved Indonesians (1,288), followed by Bangladeshis (944), Myanmar nationals (878), Pakistanis (431) and Indian nationals (164).

“Other nationalities arrested included those from the Philippines, Cambodia, Nepal, Thailand, China, Vietnam, as well as stateless individuals,” he said.

Wan Mohammed Saupee said Kuala Lumpur JIM would continue to carry out enforcement and monitoring operations to keep the issue of illegal immigrants in the federal capital under control.

He added that the department would compromise with no foreigners violating the country’s laws, while locals found protecting illegal immigrants would also be subject to strict legal action, including being charged in court. — Bernama