logo
Chow Kit photo shop fronts father-son immigration forgery ring

Chow Kit photo shop fronts father-son immigration forgery ring

KUALA LUMPUR: A document forgery operation allegedly run by a father-and-son duo behind a photo shop near Chow Kit Market has been uncovered by the Immigration Department.
The illicit activity, believed to have been ongoing since early this year, was exposed following a raid at 7pm yesterday. The operation was the result of two months of intelligence gathering.
KL Immigration Department director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff said the two suspects, aged 60 and 34, were believed to be involved in the production, falsification, and alteration of immigration endorsements, including visas, permits, passes, and other official documents, under Section 55D of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
"They were also found to have been supplying, selling, or transferring entry permits, passes, and travel documents — particularly to foreign nationals.
"We suspect they were offering services for the procurement of E-Pass PLKS (Temporary Employment Visit Passes) issued by the Immigration Department, with forged details, alongside counterfeit JIM i-Kads and CIDB cards intended for use in the construction sector," he said during a press conference today.
According to Wan Mohammed Saupee, the suspects communicated with clients via WhatsApp, requesting passport-sized photographs and accepting payments either online or in cash.
"Each document is priced between RM60 and RM140, with a turnaround time as quick as one day.
"The enforcement team also seized several cards resembling MyKid which are believed to be counterfeit," he added.
The raid led to the confiscation of 50 forged E-PLKS slips, 100 blank chip-based card templates, card printers, photocopy machines, desktop and laptop computers, a printing machine, hologram stickers, and RM4,000 in cash.
"Foreigners found to be using the services of unauthorised agents or syndicates will face stern action under the law," he said.
Wan Mohammed Saupee added that the department believes similar forgery operations remain active and that enforcement teams are ramping up efforts to identify and apprehend other individuals involved, based on intelligence and ongoing investigations.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

64 Foreign Workers Detained In Kulim
64 Foreign Workers Detained In Kulim

Barnama

time9 minutes ago

  • Barnama

64 Foreign Workers Detained In Kulim

KULIM, Aug 14 (Bernama) -- Sixty-four foreign workers were arrested by the Immigration Department in separate raids at two factories in Padang Serai, near here, yesterday. Kedah Immigration director Mohd Ridzzuan Mohd Zain said the foreigners were arrested in a six-hour operation which started and 11 am and also involved the Manpower Department, the National Registration Department and the Department of Environment. 'The first raid was conducted at a battery factory where 210 workers of various nationalities were checked, and of that number, 34 people consisting of 16 Bangladeshi men, 15 Chinese men, an Indonesian man, an Indian man and a Myanmar woman were arrested.

Government holds 17,896 immigration detainees as of July 6, says Saifuddin
Government holds 17,896 immigration detainees as of July 6, says Saifuddin

The Star

time2 hours ago

  • The Star

Government holds 17,896 immigration detainees as of July 6, says Saifuddin

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 17,896 illegal immigrants (PATI) are held across immigration detention centres as of July 6, 2025, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. The Home Minister said the detainees are housed in 20 facilities operated by the Immigration Department, including 18 permanent depots and two temporary depots. He added that there are six child detention centres, known as Baitul Mahabbah, for foreign minors. 'The total capacity of Immigration Department detention centres is 21,530 individuals,' he said in a written reply to Syerleena Abdul Rashid (PH–Bukit Bendera). 'At any time, the number detained across all depots ranges between 16,000 and 18,000, depending on arrests and deportations,' he said. Syerleena had asked for the number of detention centres, detainee counts at each, and whether any hold UNHCR status. Of the current total, 78% or 13,992 detainees are men, while 22% or 3,974 are women, said the minister. Four nationalities account for 90.7% of all PATI detainees, led by Myanmar with 7,453 individuals. They are followed by Indonesia with 3,817 and Bangladesh with 1,136, he said. 'The average detention period ranges from 0 to 3 years. It is noted that none of the detainees as of July 6, 2025 are UNHCR cardholders,' he said. 'However, a total of 4,719 detainees are of Rohingya ethnicity from Myanmar,' added Saifuddin.

Immigration busts document forgery ring, raids illegal massage operations in KL
Immigration busts document forgery ring, raids illegal massage operations in KL

New Straits Times

time13 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Immigration busts document forgery ring, raids illegal massage operations in KL

PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department has dismantled a document forgery syndicate and uncovered illegal massage services in separate operations in Kuala Lumpur, arresting 24 foreign nationals and seizing cash and equipment linked to the illicit activities. In a special raid on Monday night in Taman Maluri, Immigration detained 19 men, 16 from Bangladesh and three from Myanmar, all aged between 18 and 43, suspected of producing fake electronic Temporary Employment Visit Pass (e-PLKS) slips. The syndicate allegedly operated behind the cover of phone repair and convenience stores, charging RM100 per falsified slip tailored to passport holders lacking valid passes. Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the forgery ring had likely been active for about a year. Among those arrested, two Bangladeshi men were overstayers, while most detainees had no valid travel documents. Authorities seized RM11,357 in cash, forged e-PLKS slips, passports, laptops, printers, closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and city hall business licenses during the operation. The suspects have been remanded at the Putrajaya Immigration Depot pending further investigation. In a related crackdown yesterday in Sri Petaling, Immigration personnel arrested one Thai national and four Myanmar men for running illegal massage services targeting male customers. The operation seized RM3,101 in suspected proceeds, promotional materials and QR codes for payment. The Thai national held a Social Visit Pass, while the Myanmar men were undocumented. Zakaria said the illicit massage service operated covertly in unlicensed spa centres and charged RM109 per hour, having run for four months. Two local men have been served notices to assist with the investigations.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store