BUTTERWORTH: A total of 123 foreigners were picked up at seven spots in Penang and Perak in a major operation by the Immigration Department.

The operation, which involved 101 immigration personnel from Penang, Kedah, Perlis and Perak, began at 3pm on Thursday and ended at 2.30am yesterday.

Penang immigration director Abdul Qadir Siddiq Ahmad said the department raided seven locations, comprising factories, entertainment outlets and construction sites in Nibong Tebal, Simpang Ampat, Bukit Mertajam and Bayan Lepas in Penang and Parit Buntar in Perak.

“Those detained were either found without valid travel documents or had abused their social visit passes,” Abdul Qadir told a press conference at the Penang immigration headquarters in Seberang Jaya near here yesterday.

He said those arrested were aged between 20 and 50 and comprised 47 Bangladeshis, 36 Myanmar natio-nals, 27 Indonesians, nine Vietnamese and three Thais.

He said 11 of the detainees were picked up at entertainment centres, 47 at factories and 65 at the construction sites. Fifteen of them were women.

Abdul Qadir said all of them were sent to the Juru detention camp near Bukit Mertajam for further action, adding that such operations would be conducted from time to time.