Immigration busts forged visa syndicates, 4 arrested in KL

The Sun

5 hours ago

KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department has smashed two syndicates involved in forging immigration stickers and Temporary Employment Visit Passes (PLKS), arresting four individuals in raids at several locations across the Klang Valley last Monday.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said all four suspects, aged between 40 and 43, were detained in a special operation in Jalan Ipoh and Maluri in Kuala Lumpur, and Petaling Jaya, Selangor following complaints and two weeks of intelligence gathering.
'In the raids conducted at 6.42 pm, the Immigration Department arrested three locals — two women believed to be the masterminds of the syndicate, and one man. Preliminary investigations revealed that one of the women and the man are civil servants,' he said in a statement today.
He added that the raids led to the seizure of 101 passports from various countries, comprising 74 Sri Lankan passports, 13 Myanmar passports, six Vietnamese, two Indonesian, two Ghanaian, and one each from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Syria.
Also seized were two mobile phones, a copy of a Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) registration document, and a Toyota Vellfire vehicle used by the syndicate.
'Preliminary investigations indicate that the syndicate had been operating since the end of last year, charging up to RM11,000 per foreign national for a fake PLKS.
'The syndicate altered details on the ePLKS, which did not exist in the Immigration system. All those arrested have been brought to the Immigration Department headquarters in Putrajaya for further action. The case is being investigated under Section 12(1)(f) of the Passport Act 1966,' he said.
In another raid at 11 am on the same day at two locations around Jalan Ipoh, the Immigration Department arrested a Pakistani national suspected of leading a syndicate printing fake immigration stickers.
Also questioned at the premises were one local man and two local women who were conducting business there.
'Preliminary checks revealed that the Pakistani national did not possess any valid travel documents or permit to be in the country. Investigations found that the syndicate was altering and printing fake immigration stickers for sale to undocumented migrants in the country.
'They were selling the stickers for between RM100 and RM120 each, depending on the country of issue. The Pakistani suspect has been detained under the Immigration Act 1959/63, Passport Act 1966, and Immigration Regulations 1963, and is currently held at the Immigration Depot in Putrajaya for further action.
'As for the local individuals, they have been issued notices to report to the office to assist in the investigation,' he added.
Among the items seized during the raid were 12 fake visa stickers for Bangladesh, India, the United States, Indonesia and Pakistan as well as a biometric passport data page sticker for Bangladesh, a desktop computer, a laptop and a printer.