Latest news with #TemporaryEmploymentVisitPasses
New Straits Times
26-05-2025
- New Straits Times
Forgers earn millions from fake passports, work passes
KUALA LUMPUR: Document forgery syndicates are believed to be earning millions of ringgit each year by producing fake passports and Temporary Employment Visit Passes (PLKS) for foreign job seekers in Malaysia. One such syndicate uncovered by the Immigration Department was reportedly charging between RM100 and RM150 per passport and capable of producing up to 100 fake passports a day. The syndicate was also found altering the biodata of undocumented foreigners to obtain approval from the Foreign Workers' Medical Examination Monitoring Agency (Fomema). Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban told Utusan Malaysia that certain syndicates were offering passports from specific countries to undocumented migrants using authentic passports with falsified biodata. This was done to facilitate the approval process for Fomema health screenings. Zakaria said these services were offered for around RM200 per case, including arrangements for the medical check-up at selected clinics. "There are syndicates offering forged passports specifically for Fomema purposes, charging RM100 to RM150 each. "These illegal activities are believed to produce 50 to 100 passports per day." he said. The syndicates were mainly forging passports from foreign worker source countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Indonesia. Zakaria said the syndicates typically used genuine passports belonging to other individuals, and altered the biodata and internal pages at a cost of RM1,000 to RM1,500 per passport. He said some syndicates would use the forged passport details to apply for Fomema approval, which involved an additional cost of RM600 to RM1,000 per document. "Most of these operations are based in business premises and condominiums to avoid detection and are equipped with printers to produce fake documents," he said. However, the number of passport forgery syndicates has decreased following Malaysia's shift towards digitalisation, including the adoption of e-passports and mobile passport readers. "The Immigration Department is now equipped with tools that help us determine whether a document is fake or genuine, so those with forged documents cannot escape scrutiny. "This is evident as only 27 arrests related to forged passes were made up to April this year, compared to 221 last year, while 57 arrests were recorded for fake passports in 2024."
New Straits Times
22-05-2025
- New Straits Times
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.
Barnama
21-05-2025
- Barnama
Father And Son Arrested Over Fake Immigration Document Racket In Chow Kit
KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 (Bernama) -- A father and son have been arrested for allegedly running a document forgery syndicate out of a watch and photograph shop in Chow Kit, producing fake immigration credentials for foreign nationals. Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff said the local pair, aged 60 and 34, were detained around 7 pm on Tuesday during a raid known as 'Op Serkap', following a month-long surveillance operation and public tip-offs. The suspects are accused of offering falsified Temporary Employment Visit Passes (e-PLKS), altered immigration i-Kads and counterfeit cards from the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). Clients reportedly placed orders via WhatsApp, submitted details and paid online or in cash. Each document costs between RM60 and RM140 and could be completed within a day. 'The shop's location in a busy area popular with migrant workers helped the syndicate attract clients, including those from outside the Klang Valley, through a network of agents who may also have been deceived,' he told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur Immigration headquarters today. Officers seized a desktop computer, a high-tech card printer capable of producing hologram stickers, closed-circuit television (CCTV) equipment, RM4,000 in cash and roughly 50 counterfeit documents. These included fake PLKS slips, CIDB cards and identity cards resembling Malaysia's MyKad and MyKid, which are typically issued by the National Registration Department (JPN). 'This is a serious offence that poses a national security risk, as these documents could allow individuals to enter and work in the country illegally,' Wan Mohammed Saupee said. The suspects are being investigated under Sections 55D and 56(1)(i) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. One of the men has a previous immigration offence on record.
The Sun
21-05-2025
- The Sun
Father and son arrested over fake immigration document racket in Chow Kit
KUALA LUMPUR: A father and son have been arrested for allegedly running a document forgery syndicate out of a watch and photograph shop in Chow Kit, producing fake immigration credentials for foreign nationals. Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff said the local pair, aged 60 and 34, were detained around 7 pm on Tuesday during a raid known as 'Op Serkap', following a month-long surveillance operation and public tip-offs. The suspects are accused of offering falsified Temporary Employment Visit Passes (e-PLKS), altered immigration i-Kads and counterfeit cards from the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). Clients reportedly placed orders via WhatsApp, submitted details and paid online or in cash. Each document costs between RM60 and RM140 and could be completed within a day. 'The shop's location in a busy area popular with migrant workers helped the syndicate attract clients, including those from outside the Klang Valley, through a network of agents who may also have been deceived,' he told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur Immigration headquarters today. Officers seized a desktop computer, a high-tech card printer capable of producing hologram stickers, closed-circuit television (CCTV) equipment, RM4,000 in cash and roughly 50 counterfeit documents. These included fake PLKS slips, CIDB cards and identity cards resembling Malaysia's MyKad and MyKid, which are typically issued by the National Registration Department (JPN). 'This is a serious offence that poses a national security risk, as these documents could allow individuals to enter and work in the country illegally,' Wan Mohammed Saupee said. The suspects are being investigated under Sections 55D and 56(1)(i) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. One of the men has a previous immigration offence on record. Between January and May 20, the department conducted 272 operations across Kuala Lumpur, screening 3,587 individuals and arresting 1,789 undocumented migrants, according to Wan Mohammed Saupee. He said authorities also detained 68 employers and opened 1,551 investigation papers, collecting RM4.59 million in compound fines, primarily for employing undocumented workers and abusing immigration passes. The department has also received 96 applications under the relaunched Migrant Repatriation Programme 2.0 (PRM 2.0), which allows undocumented migrants to return to their home countries voluntarily, he added. The initiative, which resumed on Monday, has so far collected RM37,920 in fines and processing fees.
The Sun
21-05-2025
- The Sun
Father and son arrested over fake immigration document racket
KUALA LUMPUR: A father and son have been arrested for allegedly running a document forgery syndicate out of a watch and photograph shop in Chow Kit, producing fake immigration credentials for foreign nationals. Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff said the local pair, aged 60 and 34, were detained around 7 pm on Tuesday during a raid known as 'Op Serkap', following a month-long surveillance operation and public tip-offs. The suspects are accused of offering falsified Temporary Employment Visit Passes (e-PLKS), altered immigration i-Kads and counterfeit cards from the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). Clients reportedly placed orders via WhatsApp, submitted details and paid online or in cash. Each document costs between RM60 and RM140 and could be completed within a day. 'The shop's location in a busy area popular with migrant workers helped the syndicate attract clients, including those from outside the Klang Valley, through a network of agents who may also have been deceived,' he told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur Immigration headquarters today. Officers seized a desktop computer, a high-tech card printer capable of producing hologram stickers, closed-circuit television (CCTV) equipment, RM4,000 in cash and roughly 50 counterfeit documents. These included fake PLKS slips, CIDB cards and identity cards resembling Malaysia's MyKad and MyKid, which are typically issued by the National Registration Department (JPN). 'This is a serious offence that poses a national security risk, as these documents could allow individuals to enter and work in the country illegally,' Wan Mohammed Saupee said. The suspects are being investigated under Sections 55D and 56(1)(i) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. One of the men has a previous immigration offence on record. Between January and May 20, the department conducted 272 operations across Kuala Lumpur, screening 3,587 individuals and arresting 1,789 undocumented migrants, according to Wan Mohammed Saupee. He said authorities also detained 68 employers and opened 1,551 investigation papers, collecting RM4.59 million in compound fines, primarily for employing undocumented workers and abusing immigration passes. The department has also received 96 applications under the relaunched Migrant Repatriation Programme 2.0 (PRM 2.0), which allows undocumented migrants to return to their home countries voluntarily, he added. The initiative, which resumed on Monday, has so far collected RM37,920 in fines and processing fees.
