Latest news with #ImmigrationandQuarantine
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Foreigner caught with RM74,000 worth of syabu in Tawau drug smuggling attempt
TAWAU: A foreigner, believed to have been paid 15 million rupiah (approximately RM3,874) by a drug syndicate to smuggle narcotics via the old Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) jetty here, was arrested with more than two kilogrammes of syabu last Friday. The 22-year-old suspect, originally from Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, was apprehended by a team from the Tawau district police headquarters after he was seen behaving suspiciously along Jalan Pelabuhan at around 9.30am. District police chief Assistant Commissioner Jasmin Hussin said the arrest was made following intelligence and surveillance that led to the suspect's detection. He is believed to have entered the district illegally via an uncharted route on July 21. "A check on his backpack revealed two gold-coloured plastic packets labelled 'Guanyinwang' and 'Freeso Dried Durian'," he said. "Inside were two transparent packets containing crystalline substances believed to be syabu, weighing a total of 2,062 grams and valued at approximately RM74,500. "Interrogation revealed that the undocumented suspect had entered the district illegally for the first time and admitted to being paid by the syndicate to smuggle the drugs out of the country," he said at a press conference today. Jasmin added that the suspect has been remanded for seven days until Aug 2 to assist investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment upon conviction. "Police are also actively tracking down others linked to the syndicate," he added. So far this year, Tawau police have seized more than 30 kilogrammes of syabu in a series of arrests involving individuals and drug trafficking syndicates.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- New Straits Times
Flying passports: Immigration enhances safeguards against graft at high-risk entry points
The Immigration Department is doubling down on internal enforcement measures amid renewed scrutiny over frontline integrity. This follows the arrest of four officers over alleged graft at the Malaysia-Singapore border. Johor Immigration director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said six anti-graft protocols remained firmly in place, in line with standing orders issued by the director-general of the Immigration Department, to curb abuse and syndicate infiltration at national entry points. "These protocols are not symbolic. They are enforced at high-risk locations, including the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complexes at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB)," he told the New Straits Times yesterday. "They cover everything from bag and body checks, closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera surveillance, rotation of officers, system access audits and handphone bans to integrity pledges for high-exposure assignments." Rusdi was responding to queries after the arrest of the four enforcement officers at the BSI complex, who were remanded over allegations of stamping foreign passports without the holders being physically present — described as the "flying passport" ruse. Two officers were detained on suspicion of accepting RM3,000 bribes while manning the motor vehicle entry lane. Two others were picked up later. Investigators also seized 14 foreign passports, four mobile phones and RM3,000 cash. The suspects, who have been remanded for six days, are believed to have received RM200 per passport for bypassing verification procedures. The case is investigated under Section 17 of the MACC Act 2009. "This is why internal controls exist," said Rusdi. Immigration enforcement officers at all entry points are prohibited from carrying personal mobile phones, which must be stored in lockers. Bag and pocket inspections are conducted before and after each shift to detect smuggling, cash bribes or unauthorised documents. Immigration counters are monitored around-the-clock via CCTV cameras by the integrity unit. Officers caught engaging in suspicious interactions are flagged for further investigation. He confirmed that the department was still reviewing proposals to equip officers with body-worn cameras and artificial intelligence-backed behavioural monitoring systems. Despite the procedural safeguards, Rusdi admitted that the risk of collusion remained. "We must reinforce a culture of integrity before compromise becomes embedded," he said.
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- New Straits Times
Four Malaysia– border enforcement officers remanded over 'flying passport' case
JOHOR BARU: Four enforcement officers were remanded for six days in connection with the bribery investigation involving illegal passport stamping at the Malaysia–Singapore border, here, today. The officers in their 20s and 40s are attached with the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex in Bangunan Sultan Iskandar here, were arrested yesterday. They are suspected of accepting about RM3,000 in bribes while manning the motor vehicle entry zone at the Johor border. Magistrate Mohammad Izham Mohd Aliyas granted the remand order until Aug 1, following a request by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at the Johor Baru magistrate's court this morning. A MACC sources said two of the officers were arrested by the Border Control and Protection Agency Compliance Unit during a surprise inspection on Friday, before they were handed over to the MACC. Two other personnel were detained later for the same offence dubbed the "flying passport" scam, where passports are stamped without the holder being physically present at the checkpoint. During the arrests yesterday, MACC officers seized 14 foreign passports, four mobile phones and cash believed to be bribes totalling RM3,000. "Preliminary investigations suggest the cash and mobile phones were linked to corrupt transactions involving forged immigration records," the source said. Each suspect is believed to have received about RM200 for every passport stamped without verifying the traveller's presence. Johor MACC deputy director (Operations) Hairul Ilham Hamzah confirmed the arrests and said the case is investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009 which criminalises the act of offering or giving bribes to secure business or personal advantage. Offenders face a fine of at least 10 times the bribe amount or RM1 million—, whichever is higher— and/or up to 20 years' imprisonment.
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- New Straits Times
Four border enforcement officers remanded over latest 'flying passport' case
JOHOR BARU: Four enforcement officers were remanded for six days in connection with the bribery investigation involving illegal passport stamping at the Malaysia–Singapore border, here, today. The officers in their 20s and 40s are attached with the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex in Bangunan Sultan Iskandar here, were arrested yesterday. They are suspected of accepting about RM3,000 in bribes while manning the motor vehicle entry zone at the Johor border. Magistrate Mohammad Izham Mohd Aliyas granted the remand order until Aug 1, following a request by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at the Johor Baru magistrate's court this morning. A MACC sources said two of the officers were arrested by the Border Control and Protection Agency Compliance Unit during a surprise inspection on Friday, before they were handed over to the MACC. Two other personnel were detained later for the same offence dubbed the "flying passport" scam, where passports are stamped without the holder being physically present at the checkpoint. During the arrests yesterday, MACC officers seized 14 foreign passports, four mobile phones and cash believed to be bribes totalling RM3,000. "Preliminary investigations suggest the cash and mobile phones were linked to corrupt transactions involving forged immigration records," the source said. Each suspect is believed to have received about RM200 for every passport stamped without verifying the traveller's presence. Johor MACC deputy director (Operations) Hairul Ilham Hamzah confirmed the arrests and said the case is investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009 which criminalises the act of offering or giving bribes to secure business or personal advantage. Offenders face a fine of at least 10 times the bribe amount or RM1 million—, whichever is higher— and/or up to 20 years' imprisonment.
The Star
4 days ago
- The Star
Two officers nabbed over ‘flying passport' activity
Progress check: Roszita (second from left) speaking to enforcement personnel at BSI in Johor Baru. — THOMAS YONG/The Star JOHOR BARU: Two enforcement officers at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) here have been detained for alleged involvement in the 'flying passport' activity. The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency CIQ BSI commander, Roszita Dim, said the male suspects, aged 31 and 49, were picked up on Friday during an operation by its compliance unit that began at 3pm. 'Suspicious activity was first detected around 7.30pm at the vehicle zone counter of the entry point. 'Investigators observed several questionable entries of visitor data using the login credentials of an officer posted at the counter, including data linked to foreign nationals flagged as problematic visitors. 'These entries triggered manual data correction actions by one of the suspects,' she told a press conference yesterday. Roszita said that around 9pm, the unit detected another instance of suspicious data clearance involving a problematic visitor, this time using the user ID of a supervisor stationed at the motorcycle zone. A search at the vehicle zone counter uncovered RM2,800 cash and two mobile phones in one of the suspects' possession, she added. She said the investigation then led to a concealed stash of 14 foreign passports – 11 issued by China and three by Indonesia – hidden inside a black bag above the ceiling at another counter. Further inspection at the motorcycle zone revealed two additional mobile phones belonging to the other suspect, she added. Roszita said both suspects were handed over to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in Johor at 10am yesterday. She said the agency's integrity unit head in Putrajaya had been notified of the arrest, and that an investigation is ongoing to determine if the act was syndicated. Roszita emphasised that the agency is committed to upholding integrity and rooting out misconduct, particularly corruption among enforcement officers and department personnel at the country's border entry points. 'Flying passport' refers to an illegal immigration tactic in which passports are carried – often by third parties – across borders without the physical presence of their holders. The passports are then returned to their owners, who had entered the country through unauthorised channels. This method allows problematic individuals to bypass immigration checks and security protocols undetected.
