SINGAPORE, March 13 -- A total of 45 immigration offenders (IO) were arrested for overstaying in a three-day multiple enforcement operations in Singapore, the Immigration &Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a press release on Friday.

The operation, conducted from March 10-12, arrested 28 males and 17 females, ages between 20 and 50 years old. Among those arrested, most were from Bangladesh, China and Nepal, ICA said.

All the IO had overstayed in Singapore, the release said, adding that a 31-year-old Bangladeshi national who had sublet his room to other IO was arrested for suspected harboring offences.

Investigations are ongoing.

Under Singapore's Immigration Act, the penalties for overstaying or illegal entry are a jail term of up to six months plus a minimum of three strokes of the cane, while the penalties for illegal departure is a fine of up to 2,000 Singapore dollars ( 1,440 U.S. dollars), a jail term of up to six months, or both.