KUALA LUMPUR: The more than 10 areas identified as being hotspots for undocumented immigrants and illegal activities include some that are outside the Klang Valley.
These will be subject to large-scale operations to weed out illegal immigrants, said Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.
“They are not just in the Klang Valley. There are also many in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, and Sabah,” he said.
This comes following an operation at Jalan Silang here on Dec 21 in which more than 1,100 illegal immigrants were detained after a massive multiagency sweep.
“We will continue launching operations from time to time. At the same time, the public must also understand that we sometimes face difficulties in terms of placing detainees in Immigration depots,” he said when met at the police training centre (Pulapol) here yesterday.
The large-scale operation in Jalan Silang involved 1,138 officers and personnel from the Internal Security and Public Order Department’s General Operations Force and the Federal Reserve Unit, along with the Immigration and Customs departments.
Contraband, including 100 cartons of cigarettes, 80 cartons of alcoholic beverages, and illegal medicines worth RM104,530, was seized.
In an unrelated matter, Ayob Khan said the police were now focusing on taking down the leaders of drug syndicates and their senior members.
“That is the difference between past drug operations and what we achieved recently.
“We will aim for the heads to ensure that we can overcome the issue of drug distribution and smuggling,” he said, adding that he was unable to divulge much as it could affect current investigations and operations.
Recently, a 40-year-old patron of a non-governmental organisation was among 10 people held for alleged involvement in a drug syndicate.
They were caught in a special operation on Dec 25.
The NGO founder with a Datuk title is believed to be the leader of the syndicate that has been operating out of Sabah for over eight years.
Meanwhile, at a ceremony yesterday, the police force also bade farewell to outgoing Bukit Aman Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department director Comm Datuk Seri Aidi Ismail, who is slated for retirement on Jan 1, 2024.
The department’s new director is Comm Datuk Wan Hassan Wan Ahmad.
In his speech, the Deputy IGP said the loss of Comm Aidi would be felt, and that he had served the force diligently for the past 36 years.
“Datuk Seri (Comm Aidi) will retire soon while others and I will be following in his footsteps eventually. No matter how high our rank is, we all will retire one day,” he said.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain, who was unable to attend the ceremony as he was out of the country, also expressed his well wishes and gratitude to Comm Aidi in a video message during the ceremony.
