60 nabbed in joint raid on recycling plant in Kota Tinggi

KOTA TINGGI: Police arrested 58 undocumented migrants and two local men during a joint operation dubbed Ops Sepadu at a recycling plant in Bandar Tenggara here.

Kota Tinggi OCPD Supt Hussin Zamora said the raid was conducted at 3.30am on Sunday (June 30) by the General Operations Force (PGA) Simpang Renggam, together with Johor Customs and the Environment Department (DOE).

“The team detained 53 foreign men and five foreign women aged between 18 and 53 who failed to produce valid travel documents.

“We have also arrested two local men, the factory caretakers. One had a small clear plastic bag containing 0.46g of a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine,” he said in a statement on Monday (July 1).

Supt Hussin added that the man with the suspected drugs also tested positive for methamphetamine.

Johor DOE had also initiated investigations under Sections 34A and 38(1)(a) of the Environmental Quality Act 1974, Regulation 5 of the Environmental Quality (Clean Air) Regulations 2014, and Activity 14(b)(ii) of the Environmental Quality (Prescribed Activities) (Environmental Impact Assessment) Order 2015, he added.

“Police made a follow-up arrest at 10.30pm the same day, detaining a local man who is the factory supervisor at Kota Tinggi district police headquarters to assist in the investigation.

“A remand application under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code for three local men was obtained from the Kota Tinggi Magistrate’s Court for four days from Monday to Thursday (July 1 to 4),” he said, adding that the men are aged between 20 and 40.

The case is also being investigated under Sections 6(1)(c), 15(1)(c) and 55E of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for entering the country without valid travel documents, overstaying, and hiring foreign workers without a permit.

A probe is also being conducted under Sections 12(2) and 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for possessing and consuming drugs, Supt Hussin added.