Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, September 15, 2026 — Malaysian immigration authorities detained 472 foreign nationals, including eight Nepalis, during a major enforcement operation in the Lebuh Pudu area of Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
The operation, conducted by the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department with other government agencies, involved checks on about 2,500 foreign nationals. Kuala Lumpur Immigration Director Datuk Hamsha Injau said the operation began at around 11 a.m. and resulted in the detention of 439 men and 33 women aged between 18 and 62.
The detainees included nationals of Bangladesh, Myanmar, the Philippines, Nepal, Indonesia, Pakistan, India, China, Zimbabwe and Saudi Arabia. Of the 472 people detained, 364 were from Bangladesh, 57 from Myanmar, nine from the Philippines, eight from Nepal, seven each from Indonesia and Pakistan, six from India, three from China, and one each from Zimbabwe and Saudi Arabia.
According to Malaysian immigration authorities, those detained were found to have committed various immigration offences, including failing to possess valid identification documents, overstaying their permitted period of stay, using unrecognised documents and violating other provisions of the Immigration Act. All 472 detainees were transferred to the Bukit Jalil Immigration Detention Depot for investigation and further action.
The operation involved 337 enforcement personnel, including 218 immigration officers and 119 personnel from Kuala Lumpur City Hall, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, the National Registration Department and the Ministry of Health. Authorities said the operation followed complaints about the presence of foreign nationals and suspected illegal business activities in the area.
