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New Straits Times
12-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Syndicate exploiting senior citizens for sham marriages may be active in other states
KOTA BARU: The Immigration Department does not rule out the possibility that a syndicate exploiting senior citizens for marriage arrangements with foreigners may also be operating in other states, in addition to Putrajaya. Director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the suspicion arose following arrests and seizures made during a special operation conducted in Putrajaya earlier this month. He said the case is currently being handled by the department's Intelligence and Special Operations Division at its headquarters. He added that state-level task forces have also been instructed to investigate the possibility of similar cases in their respective areas. "That's just what we have detected so far in Putrajaya. We are monitoring the situation closely, and special teams at the state level have been set up to investigate any suspicious couples who have applied under the foreign spouse category," he told the New Straits Times. The department recently busted a syndicate believed to be offering immigration-related services, including applications under the "foreign spouse of a Malaysian citizen" category and marriage registration services through the National Registration Department for unions between Malaysians and foreign nationals. Zakaria said investigations on the recent case are still ongoing, but he believes the problem may extend beyond Putrajaya. "I can't say which states are involved because I don't have that information. "But I believe this is not just an isolated case limited to one or two locations. "If there are members of the public with information, we welcome it. We will conduct a full investigation based on any leads provided," he said. Zakaria said the syndicate appears to target elderly citizens who are often neglected or left without financial support by their families. "In my view, many of these senior citizens are abandoned. They have children, but their children don't care for them. "So when a foreigner suddenly shows up, willing to take care of them and offer financial support, even if the foreigner is significantly younger, the senior citizen agrees to marry," he said. He explained that in many cases, the seniors are not required to do anything beyond agreeing to the marriage. In return, he added that they are given monthly allowances in the thousands of ringgit. "These foreigners only want to marry to obtain legal status. That's all. That's why we see these foreign nationals caring for these senior citizens as they need that legal status," he said. With that legal status, Zakaria added, the foreigners can remain in the country for extended periods and can open various types of businesses.
New Straits Times
05-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Immigration busts syndicate exploiting senior citizens for fake marriages
KUALA LUMPUR: A syndicate that exploited senior citizens for marriage arrangements with foreigners has been dismantled by the Immigration Department following a special operation conducted in Putrajaya last Thursday. Its director-general, Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, said the operation, which began at 9.19am, was carried out following two weeks of intelligence gathering by the Intelligence and Special Operations Division based at Immigration headquarters in Putrajaya. He said five Malaysian men, aged between 30 and 66, were arrested during the raid. "Four of them are believed to be the main masterminds of the syndicate, while one acted as an intermediary," he said in a statement today. Among the items seized during the operation were six Malaysian passports, 22 Chinese passports, seven Bangladeshi passports, three Indonesian passports, two Vietnamese passports, one Myanmar passport, and one Macau passport. Also confiscated were a laptop, two printers, two backpacks, RM3,070 in cash, and two vehicles, a Perodua Bezza and a Honda CR-V, believed to have been used by the syndicate. "In addition, 26 folders containing documents from the department and the National Registration Department (JPN) were also seized," he added. Zakaria said the syndicate is believed to have been offering immigration-related services, such as applications under the category of "foreign spouse of a Malaysian citizen", as well as JPN applications for marriages between Malaysians and foreign nationals. The syndicate is believed to have been in operation for about a year. "Its modus operandi involved targeting local senior citizens in the Klang Valley who were seeking to marry foreign nationals, charging between RM50 and RM500 for each application," he said. All five suspects were detained on suspicion of committing offences under the Passport Act 1966 and were taken to the Immigration Office in Putrajaya for further action. Zakaria added that the department remains committed to strengthening enforcement efforts in line with the Madani Government's emphasis on integrity in governance and national security.
The Sun
05-07-2025
- The Sun
Immigration Department busts marriage-for-visa syndicate exploiting seniors
PUTRAJAYA: A syndicate offering fake marriage services to foreigners under the guise of immigration applications has been dismantled by the Immigration Department following an operation in Putrajaya on July 3. The operation, carried out at 9.19am by officers from the Intelligence and Special Operations Division of the Putrajaya Immigration Headquarters, led to the arrest of five local men aged between 30 and 66. Four of them were believed to be the main perpetrators, including a suspected syndicate leader and a middleman. Authorities seized 46 passports from various countries, including Malaysia (6), China (22), Bangladesh (7), and several others. Other confiscated items included forged documents, 66 folders of Immigration and National Registration Department records, computers, printers, and over RM3,000 in cash. Two vehicles were also seized. The syndicate allegedly targeted elderly Malaysian men, arranging for them to act as 'husbands' in fake marriages with foreign nationals, in exchange for payment. These fraudulent marriages were then used to facilitate long-term visa applications under immigration categories such as 'spouse of citizen' and 'family reunion.' Victims were recruited from Klang Valley and nearby areas. Foreign clients paid syndicate members between RM50 and RM500 per session, with operations believed to have run for over a year. All five suspects are being investigated under Section 12(1)(f) of the Passport Act 1966 and have been brought to the Putrajaya Immigration Office for further action. The statement was issued by Immigration Director-General Dato' Zakaria Shaaban via Facebook. He said the Immigration Department will continue to enhance enforcement efforts to curb any activities that breach national laws and threaten public security.
New Straits Times
18-06-2025
- New Straits Times
Civil servants nabbed in Klang Valley fake work pass syndicate
KUALA LUMPUR: Two civil servants are among several people arrested following an Immigration Department bust on a syndicate involved in producing counterfeit stickers and Temporary Employment Visit Passes (ePLKS) in separate raids across the Klang Valley. The pair — a man and a woman — are believed to be key operatives in the syndicate, which charged foreign nationals up to RM11,000 each for the illegal service. Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the first raid, conducted at 11am on Sunday, targeted two premises along Jalan Ipoh. The operation was carried out by officers from the Intelligence and Special Operations Division based at Immigration headquarters in Putrajaya. "Acting on complaints and two weeks of surveillance, the team moved in and inspected the premises, where they found one man and two local women conducting transactions," he said in a statement today. Among those detained was a Pakistani man, believed to be the syndicate's ringleader. Initial checks revealed he did not possess valid travel documents or a permit to remain in the country. The team also seized 13 forged stickers, including six purportedly for Bangladesh visas, two for the United States, and one each for Indonesia and Pakistan. Also confiscated were a biometric passport sticker for Bangladesh, a desktop computer, a laptop, and a printer. Zakaria said the syndicate's modus operandi involved editing and printing fake immigration stickers, which were sold to undocumented migrants for between RM100 and RM120 each, depending on the destination country listed. "All foreign nationals arrested have been sent to the Putrajaya Immigration Depot for further action under the Immigration Act 1959/63, the Passport Act 1966, and the Immigration Regulations 1963. "One local man and one woman were issued notices to assist with the investigation," he said. Later the same day, at 6.42pm, the department mounted a second special operation at two separate locations — in Maluri, Kuala Lumpur, and Petaling Jaya, Selangor. "Based on public tip-offs and two weeks of intelligence, the operation team was deployed and successfully arrested two local women believed to be the main masterminds, along with one local man. "Preliminary investigations revealed that the women and the man arrested are civil servants, all aged between 40 and 43," he said. The team also seized 101 passports from various countries — including 74 from Sri Lanka, 13 from Myanmar, six from Vietnam, two each from Indonesia and Ghana, and one each from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Syria. Two mobile phones and a Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) registration certificate were also confiscated. Additionally, a Toyota Vellfire believed to have been used by the syndicate was impounded. Zakaria said the group specialised in processing ePLKS applications for foreign nationals without valid permits in the Klang Valley. "Initial checks showed that the information on the ePLKS documents had been tampered with and did not exist in the Immigration system. Each migrant was charged RM11,000. We believe the syndicate has been operating since late 2024," he said. All local suspects are being investigated under Section 12(1)(f) of the Passport Act 1966 and have been taken to Immigration headquarters in Putrajaya for further questioning.
The Star
18-06-2025
- The Star
Immigration Dept nab suspected mastermind of fake visa syndicate
KUALA LUMPUR: A Pakistani man, believed to be the mastermind behind a fake visa syndicate, was nabbed following raids at two locations along Jalan Ipoh. Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the raid, which began at 11am on Monday (June 16), involved officers from the Intelligence and Special Operations Division of the Immigration Department headquarters in Putrajaya. It was the result of two weeks of surveillance and public complaints. "During the operation, officers inspected a premises where one local man and two local women were found conducting transactions. "A Pakistani man, believed to be the syndicate's mastermind, was also detained at the scene. "Initial checks revealed that the foreign suspect did not possess any valid travel documents or permits to be in the country," he said in a statement on Wednesday (June 18). Several items were seized, including 13 fake immigration stickers, with six for Bangladesh, two for India, two for the United States, one for Indonesia, one for Pakistan, and one biometric passport front label for Bangladesh, he said. "We also seized a desktop computer, laptop, and printer used in the forgery process," he added. Zakaria said investigations revealed that the syndicate was producing and selling counterfeit immigration stickers to undocumented migrants (PATI) residing in Malaysia. "These forged visas were sold at prices ranging between RM100 and RM120 each, depending on the country of origin," he said. He said all foreign nationals involved have been detained under the Immigration Act 1959/63, Passport Act 1966, and Immigration Regulations 1963. "They are currently held at the Putrajaya Immigration Depot for further investigation. "We also issued notices to a local man and a local woman to report to the Immigration office to assist in the ongoing probe."
