Malaysian authorities have arrested 1,043 foreign nationals, including 460 Bangladeshis, in a two-day nationwide crackdown targeting residential areas and locations with a high concentration of foreign nationals.

The arrests were made during raids conducted on Aug 10 and 11, Malaysia’s English-language daily New Straits Times reported Wednesday.

Immigration Department Director-General Zakaria Shaaban said immigration officers checked the documents of 3,307 foreign nationals during the nationwide operation.

Speaking to reporters after a raid at a residential building in Sungai Chua on Tuesday night, Zakaria said 1,043 foreigners were arrested, including 880 men and 163 women aged between 17 and 59.

Bangladeshis accounted for the largest number of those arrested, with 460 detained across the country. They included 369 men and 91 women.

The other detainees comprised 328 Indonesians, 186 Myanmar nationals, 55 Indians, 22 Nepalese and 143 nationals of other countries.

Zakaria said the targeted residential areas were identified based on complaints from members of the public as well as information gathered by the Immigration Department and intelligence agencies.

He said enforcement had been intensified following concerns among Malaysian residents over what they described as an uncontrolled presence of foreign nationals in several areas.

“The enforcement activities have been stepped up following the Prime Minister’s advice and public sentiment that the presence of foreign nationals is becoming increasingly uncontrolled,” he said.

Meanwhile, Zakaria urged undocumented foreigners to take advantage of the ongoing migrant repatriation programme to avoid arrest.

Under the programme, foreign nationals can voluntarily surrender to the Immigration Department and return to their home countries after paying a fine of RM500.