The Immigration Department will take over supervision of all temporary detention centres (PTS) in Sabah from the National Security Council (NSC), early next year.

Immigration Department director-general Mustafar Ali said it involved PTS in Menggatal, Papar, Sandakan and Tawau.

He said the matter was decided during the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) Advisory Board meeting, co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Chief Minister Musa Aman, last April.

“Initially, we decided to take over the PTS supervision on Nov 1, 2016, but there were a few matters that need to be discussed,” he said after witnessing the Corruption-Free Pledge (IBR) ceremony and the Sabah Immigration Department monthly assembly, in Kota Kinabalu today.

Mustafar also said the department was always conducting integrated operations on illegal immigrants and up to August this year, the department has conducted 1,003 operations throughout Sabah.

“Throughout the operations, a total of 29,058 people were inspected and 3,277 were detained, while 68 employers were also arrested.

“During that period, several prosecutions were conducted and more than RM5 million in compounds were collected from the illegals and employers,” he said.

Mustafar added since January until today, a total of 8,450 illegals were repatriated back to their respective countries.

- Bernama