IMMIGRATION DEPT DETAINS 116 INDIANS AND SRI LANKANS

JOHOR BAHARU (Malaysia), Sept 8 (Bernama) -- The Immigration Department
today detained 116 Indian and Sri Lankan citizens at a luxury condominium in
Jalan Abdul Samad here who were believed to be using the place as a transit
point before they headed off to Indonesia and then on to Australia.

Johor Immigration deputy assistant director Muhammad Ali Abdullah said the
persons aged between seven months and 50 years were detained at about 1pm after
the Immigration Department received information from the police.

"More than 20 rooms were occupied by the foreigners, believed to be rented
by smuggling agents. It is believed that three of the agents were also living at
the place but they escaped during the raid," he told reporters here Tuesday.

Muhammad Ali said investigation revealed that some of the foreigners came
with their families via the Kuala Lumpur International Airport since a month
ago.

He said it was found that some had passports that had expired and some had
refugee status documents from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR).

Muhammad Ali said they will be investigated under Section 6(1)(c) of the
Immigration Act 1959/1963 for not having valid travelling documents and under
Section 15(1)(c) of the same act for overstaying.

He said they were all sent to the Pekan Nenas detention centre in Pontian.

--BERNAMA