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 here today.

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

Of the 228 people, 175 of them were in remand for allegedly entering Sabah illegally, he said, adding that 169 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