KOTA KINABALU: Twelve foreigners were rounded up by Immigration officers during Op Gegar conducted at an entertainment outlet in Sandakan on Friday (June 10) night.

       Sabah Immigration director Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof said the raid was done at 11.25pm at the premises in Bandar Indah, Batu 4 with a team of 14 members.

       Forty people were checked during the operation and out of that, 11 Filipinos - six men and five women - and an Indonesian man were detained for not having proper documentation.

       They were aged between 17 and 32 years old and were either patrons or workers at the outlet when caught, she said in a statement on Sunday (June 12).

       The suspects were being investigated under Section 6(1)(c) of Immigration Act 1959/63.

       "Also detained is a Malaysian man aged 48-years-old believed to be the employer there, and he is being investigated under Section 55b of the same Act for employing immigrants without valid passes, and Section 55e (1) for allowing illegal immigrants to enter the premises.

       "Sabah immigration is warning the public, especially employers not to break immigration rules as we would take stern actions against errant individuals.

       "We also call on public members to report any illegal immigrants' presence or any suspicious activities," she added.