BUTTERWORTH, Nov 8 — Penang Immigration has detained 20 foreigners, including a 45-year-old Filipino, working as security guards at various luxury condominiums, shopping malls and financial institutions in the state.
Its assistant director, Basri Othman, said the woman had a fake identity card belonging to a Sabahan woman.
He said the foreigners were picked up during Ops Padu conducted between 2pm on Wednesday and 2am yesterday.
Three Filipinos, including the woman, were picked up at a luxury condominium in Sungai Pinang on the island.
There were 12 others from Nepal and five from Pakistan who were all working as illegal security guards. None of them had valid permits to work as guards.
“It is the safety and security of our people who live in residential areas and shoppers at the shopping malls that we are concerned about,” he said at a press conference at the state Immigration department headquarters at Seberang Jaya.
“It is dangerous to employ foreigners without valid documents to work as security guards.”
The immigrants have since being detained at the department’s headquarters for further investigations. Basri said those detained had also violated various immigration laws.
“We will submit the investigations report to the deputy public prosecutor office for further action.”
