A total of 11,071 illegal immigrants in Sabah were deported to their respective homelands in the first five months of this year.

Sabah National Security Council (NSC) secretary Rodzi Md Saad said the immigrants included 9,069 Filipinos and 1,906 Indonesians.

He said another 5,154 illegal immigrants were still at the Temporary Detention Centres (PTS) in Sabah with 1,195 of them in Kota Kinabalu, Papar (1,734), Sibuga (920) and Tawau (1,305).

Since January this year, the council had conducted 11 integrated operations, during which 3,780 suspected illegal immigrants were inspected, he said at a press conference on the Sabah NSC integrated operations in Kota Kinabalu today.

He said the latest operation was conducted early today in Kota Kinabalu and Penampang during which 606 people were inspected and 228 of them were detained for further screening.

Of the 228 people, 175 of them are in remand for allegedly entering Sabah illegally, he said, adding that 169 of them were Filipinos and the six others, Indonesian nationals.

Rodzi said the integrated operation also involved the police, Immigration Department, National Registration Department, Chief Minister's Department, Civil Defence Department and Kota Kinabalu City Council.

- Bernama