The 100 Pakistanis, 15 Yemenis, 13 Somalis and eight Iranians were rounded up in cooperation with police from regions across Oman between August 21 and 28, the reports said, quoting police.

The police regularly announce swoops on illegal immigrants in the sultanate, which has a 1,700-kilometre (1,000-mile) coastline, and where foreigners account for a quarter of the population.

In 2002, more than 13,000 illegal expatriate workers took advantage of an amnesty allowing illegal residents to leave without paying hefty fines.

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