Immigration conducts foreign beggar swoop in Bukit Bintang, eight detained

PUTRAJAYA - The Immigration Department has launched an operation to clear areas in Bukit Bintang of beggars in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday and picked eight foreigners including a woman from China impersonating as a Muslim by wearing a hijab to beg.

Immigration director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said the detainees aged between eight months and 78 years comprised a man and a woman from China, three women and a girl from Pakistan as well as a woman and a boy from Jordan.

In a statement issued today, he said the operation carried out from 6 pm involved 18 immigration officers following complaints by members of the public on foreign beggars in the tourist areas in the federal capital.

In the raid, he said one of the foreigners inspected pretended to be in pain and faint when operation officers moved in.

Ruslin said the beggars were found not having personal identification documents and had overstayed in the country and they would be held at the Semenyih Immigration Depot for investigation. - BERNAMA