Airport screening process to be upgraded, says Nur Jazlan

Deputy home minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed (centre) and Immigration Department director general Datuk Seri Sakib Kusmi ( left) checking the Malaysian passport holder automated scanner during his working visit to Immigration check in counter at KLIA in Sepang. MOHD SAHAR MISNI/The Star

SEPANG: Security at airports has been tightened following the arrests of two Immigration officers linked to an international passport forgery syndicate, said Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed.

He said the security screening system, implemented by Heitech Padu for over 20 years, would be upgraded due to the many "loopholes" that makes the system "hang," enabling the syndicate to take advantage of.

"The Immigration officers would need to manually record the arrivals and departures of international passengers when the system is down.

"Checks by us found that the records are not being updated into the system on the same day itself.

"This enables the bad apples to work with syndicates - they would take advantage of the flaws by trafficking people when the system is down," Nur Jazlan said after visiting the international departure counters at KL International Airport (KLIA).

Nur Jazlan said it was "emabarrassing" to count the number of times the system had broken down in the past month alone - the longest being an hour.

"Security is a serious matter. Just imagine if one, two, or three terrorists enter the country via this channel.

"This is why the flaws need to be immediately rectified. Security must be upgraded from time to time and the company which developed the system should take the responsibility in doing so, 20 years is a long time," he said.

A new system called the Advanced Passenger Screening System (APSS) was also being studied by the Immigration Department.

"It is one of several new security protocols being put in place at the entry points of the country. We are also focusing on strengthening our officers' integrity so that they will refrain from being involved in any wrongdoings," he said.

In the latest crackdown, police arrested 19 people, including foreigners, over their alleged involvement in the human trafficking of Sri Lankan nationals using fake Malaysian international passports between April 12 and May 6.

Six Malaysians were among those arrested, including two Immigration officers, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

The remaining suspects were Sri Lankan and Indian nationals, who acted as agents and facilitators in the operation. 

The syndicate is believed to have been trafficking migrants to Geneva, Switzerland.

Investigations showed that the syndicate bought real passports from local Indians who have similar facial features as the Sri Lankan migrants, to be used as fake passports.

The passports are thought to have been bought for between RM1,000 and RM2,500 each. 

It was reported that the trafficked migrants would first use their real passports en route back to their homeland, but once they reach a ‘satellite area’ the syndicate would pass the fake passports along with boarding passes for flights heading to the Netherlands, before their final destination in Switzerland.

It was also reported that the Immigration officers working for the syndicate would ensure no issues for the migrants at their counters and were paid between RM150 and RM350 per migrant.

Investigations also showed that the syndicate would charge as much as RM60,000 to each migrant for the journey.