Kuala Lumpur  - Malaysian police detained 18 illegal immigrants during a raid Sunday morning on a Kuala Lumpur nursing home, reports said Monday.

The immigrant from Bangladesh and Indonesia were believed to have paid the owner of the nursing home between 300 to 400 ringgit (85 to 114 dollars) per month for a room, the Star daily reported.

District police chief Abdul Jalil Hassan said that at the time of the raid, there were only eight senior citizens living there.

"The old folks were living in the front portion of the home while the illegals stayed at the back," Abdul Jalil said, adding that the owner had partitioned the entire rear section into several rooms.

It is learnt that the illegals, believed to have been living there for at least six months, were working as labourers in the vicinity and helped out at the nursing home during their off-days.

Abdul Jalil said the police were planning to take action against the home operator as well.

"They (the illegal immigrants) thought the home was safe. Normally it would be the last place where they would be looked for," he said.

Police suspect that many owners of such homes may be cashing in on the illegals, who are desperate to escape detention.

Malaysia has long attracted migrant workers, including those fleeing poverty, violence and persecution, from South and South-east Asia. (Idpa)