Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Batam Immigration authorities detained 29 Chinese citizens for violating residency permits during a joint surveillance operation at a luxury apartment project in Marina City Waterfront on Tuesday. 

They were caught performing physical labor, including welding and construction finishing, which contradicted their visa statuses.

"We identified 29 foreigners at the location, including five temporary stay permit holders, 17 on visit permits, and seven using visas on arrival," said Wahyu Eka Putra, the Head of the Batam Immigration Office on Thursday (23/4/2026), as reported by antaranews.com. 

He emphasized that the activities discovered such as installing building materials did not align with their legal stay requirements.

Officers have confiscated 24 passports and taken five individuals into custody for intensive questioning. Immigration officials are now investigating project managers and sponsors to verify labor data. 

(mg/inp/pr/rs)