A total of 123 Bangladeshi citizens have been denied entry into Malaysia and sent back from Kuala Lumpur International Airport after attempting to enter the country on tourist visas.

Malaysia’s immigration authorities have decided to place 198 foreign nationals on a “Not to Land” (NTL) list and deport them for failing to meet immigration requirements, according to a report published Thursday by Malaysia’s state news agency Bernama.

Shuhaily Mohd Zain, director-general of the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency, confirmed the development.

He said many of those denied entry did not possess the necessary documents, adequate funds, or foreign currency. Some failed to provide hotel bookings, and others gave vague travel purposes -- all of which made them unfit for entry under immigration laws.

Airport authorities said 128 passengers were stopped at Terminal 1, of whom 123 were Bangladeshi nationals. The others included two Pakistanis, two Indonesians, and one Syrian national. At Terminal 2, 70 travellers were detained, including 51 Indonesians, 13 Indians, four Pakistanis, and two Vietnamese nationals.

According to Shuhaily, immigration officials discovered photos of Malaysian immigration officers on several of the detainees’ mobile phones.

The authorities are now considering the incident as a potential security breach and are investigating whether the individuals were connected to any trafficking ring or syndicate.

On Jul 11, 96 Bangladeshis were similarly deported from Kuala Lumpur International Airport after arriving with tourist visas.

The airlines have been tasked with repatriating the passengers stopped at the terminals.