PETALING JAYA: Five Malaysian men in Perth have been detained by the Australian Border Force (ABF) following their suspected involvement in a foreign worker exploitation syndicate within the construction industry.
According to The West Australian, the men were found to be living in Australia illegally and were arrested during a series of nationwide Operation Battenrun raids targeting labour recruitment firms exploiting vulnerable foreign workers and illegal immigrants.
The report said ABF officers found three of the men, aged 50, 51 and 64, at an Embleton residence on Dec 17.
The week before, on Dec 10, two more men were detained, a 52-year-old during a raid at a Dianella home and a 46-year-old at a commercial property in Beckenham.
The 52-year-old has already been deported back to Malaysia, while the other four will remain in immigration detention pending their departure from Australia.
ABF Commander Operations West, James Copeman, said the pandemic had not diminished the ABF’s ongoing operations to target criminals and unscrupulous individuals exploiting vulnerable foreign workers.
“We are always on the lookout for cases of foreign workers being underpaid, deprived of entitlements, and treated poorly,” he was quoted as saying by the daily.
“The ABF will not tolerate those people who are making significant profits by exploiting foreign workers.
“Information gathered during these warrants will form the basis of further investigations into a number of Australian registered companies suspected of using the services of this syndicate.”
Copeman added that companies would be significantly fined if they employed contract workers who are illegal immigrants or foreign citizens working outside the conditions of their visas.
“On top of the unacceptable exploitation of those workers, it also disadvantages local businesses who do the right thing by paying and treating their workers properly,” he said.
Australia’s Department of Home Affairs has encouraged all employers to conduct regular checks using the Visa Entitlement Verification Online system to ensure that their workers are permitted to work.
People who are being exploited, regardless of visa status, are also encouraged to come forward and provide information so action can be taken against those involved.