MALAYSIAN immigration authorities have arrested 59 foreign nationals during raids on eight business premises in Selangor, a day after a Nigerian man reportedly attacked a police officer with two machetes, severing the officer’s right hand before he was shot dead.

The Immigration Department said the arrests followed two weeks of intelligence gathering and complaints that some foreigners were using business premises as accommodation and hiding places to evade detection.

The operation, which began at 1pm on Thursday, November 12, involved 17 immigration enforcement officers.

According to the department’s Director-General, Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, 152 people were screened during the operation, comprising 75 Malaysians and 77 foreign nationals.

Of the foreigners screened, 59, comprising 53 men and six women, were arrested over suspected immigration offences.

The offences included failure to possess valid travel documents, overstaying and misuse of immigration passes.

The immigration authorities said the arrested foreigners had been transferred to detention depots for further investigation under Malaysia’s Immigration Act 1959/63 and Immigration Regulations 1963.

The department did not disclose the nationalities of those arrested.

The operation came a day after a Nigerian man allegedly attacked Malaysian police officers and other emergency responders with two machetes in Desa Aman Puri, Kepong, on Wednesday, November 11.

According to Malaysian news agency Bernama, the incident occurred after police received a report around 4pm about a man behaving aggressively at a residential property.