18 September 2012 | last updated at 11:57PM
Wife hidden in closet to avoid Immigration
MALACCA: An illegal immigrant hid his wife in a closet in an attempt to spare her from being caught by state Immigration officers during a raid at their home in Taman Seri Pelangi, Alor Gajah, at 11pm on Sunday.
The man, in his 30s, had told the officers that he was alone in the house. However, they became suspicious when they spotted a telekung (headdress) and searched the rented home for 15 minutes before discovering the woman, in her 20s, hiding in a closet.
The Indonesian couple both possessed social visit passes which had expired six months ago. In the raid, the Immigration officers detained 23 foreigners, including the couple, after they were found without valid documents at six separate locations on Sunday.
The operation, which took place from 4pm to 3am the next morning, involved 15 Immigration enforcement officers who checked 85 foreigners at Krubung, Malim, Taman Seri Pelangi and Peringgit.
The locations included a traditional massage parlour, a mini-market, a restaurant, a convenience store and two rented homes.
State Immigration Department director Kamaluddin Ismail said during the raid, 19 men and four women between 20 and 41 were detained for further investigation.
The detainees, comprising Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Thai nationals, will be investigated under Section 6 (1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for not having a valid pass or permit, and Section 15 (1)(c) for overstaying.
