POLICE TRACK DOWN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

LABUAN (Malaysia), Feb 7 (Bernama) -- Police came down hard on illegal
immigrants on the island off East Malaysia state of Sabah, checking 304
suspected foreigners in the wee hours Saturday.

Labuan police chief Supt Saiman Kasran led 42 police personnel in a raid on
Kampung Muslim, a village believed to be the commune of foreigners.

The two-hour operation involving various police departments such as the
crime, narcotics, traffic and commercial crime departments and the special
branch began at 5am and saw the arrest of three foreigners who did not have
valid travel documents.

"We will intensify operations from time to time and conduct house-to-house
raids," Saiman told Bernama.

Meanwhile, after successfully busting an illegal syndicate engaged in hiring
foreign women to work as guest relations officers on Monday, police crippled a
gambling syndicate and arrested three men and seized computers three days later.

Saiman said the gambling activity had been going on at the premises for the
last two months.

Police also arrested a local involved in an illegal 4-digit lottery and two
Filipinos for drug trafficking early this week, he added.
-- BERNAMA