{
  "id": 8860002,
  "title": "57,000 illegal immigrants detained, 1,720 employers prosecuted nationwide",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/57-000-illegal-immigrants-detained-1-720-employers-prosecuted",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-21T05:59:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/09/1537514/57000-illegal-immigrants-detained-1720-employers-prosecuted-nationwide"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the first nine months of the year, the Immigration Department in Malaysia has detained over 57,000 illegal immigrants across 9,700 operations nationwide, according to Deputy Director-General Datuk Lokman Effendi Ramli. These immigrants were apprehended for a variety of offenses. Additionally, 1,720 employers were prosecuted for breaching the Immigration Act 1959/63 during the same period. The department carried out an operation every two hours on average. Lokman Effendi emphasized that prosecution is not exclusive to foreigners but also encompasses employers who violate regulations and laws. He urged the public to report any information about the presence of foreign nationals to the authorities, emphasizing the importance of providing complete details to facilitate the authorities' duties. Today, the Terengganu Immigration Department, in collaboration with the National Security Council and the Civil Defence Force, inspected 133 foreigners and detained 19 illegal immigrants as part of Operation Mega at Sri Kolam Flats. Among them were a Bangladeshi man, 14 Myanmar nationals, and four Indonesians, ranging in age from one month to 50 years. Seven Myanmar women, including a mother of a newborn baby, had recently entered the country through unauthorized agents to reunite with their husbands already residing in Malaysia, according to Lokman Effendi.",
  "summary": "KUALA TERENGGANU: More than 57,000 illegal immigrants have been detained in 9,700 operations conducted nationwide from Jan 1 to Sept 17, said Immigration Department deputy director-general (Operations) Datuk Lokman Effendi Ramli.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}