MIRI: The police have uncovered what is believed to be the largest syndicate responsible for producing fake MyKads and birth certificates in the state.
During a recent operation at Desa Pujut residential estate in Kuala Baram district near here, police confiscated dozens of false personal documents believed to be home-manufactured by the syndicate.
State police commissioner DCP Datuk Wira Muhammad Sabtu Osman told a press conference yesterday that his men had earlier received public tip-off about suspicious activities happening in the place and after a week of close surveillance, conducted a raid there around 9pm last Saturday.
“This is believed to be the biggest syndicate of its kind in Sarawak in recent memory.
“During the raid, we found 34 people there and after checking their documentation, we arrested 23 including two from Sabah, as well as seven men and three women from the Philippines. The rest are Malaysians,” he said.
The police commissioner also revealed that among the Malaysians detained was a staff member of National Registration Department (NRD) in Putrajaya.
“We have placed them under remand pending further investigations.”
During the raid, DCP Muhammad Sabtu said his men also seized, among other things, RM3,100 cash, four USB flash devices, three stamp pads, 10 stamps bearing logos of various government departments in Sabah, computers and numerous copies of birth certificates — many of which were photostated duplicates.
He believed that the syndicate’s mastermind was among those arrested.
“We are determined to establish what was the role of the NRD personnel in this case and what was he doing in Miri.
“We suspect that he is one of the key players. Initial investigations showed that he is attached to the department in Putrajaya as an admnistrative assistant.
“The arrest of the Sabahans and foreigners also showed that the syndicate could have spread its wings here from Sabah,” he said.
Commenting further, DCP Muhammad Sabtu said Sarawak, with its 1,600km boundary, had many “rat-holes” that were being used as illegal entry points.
He, however, admitted that it would be a daunting task for the police to “plug” all these points.
In addition, DCP Muhammad Sabtu said that the police had also received reports of 48 personal documents missing from the NRD office in Beluru, adding that they would find out if that case and the latest one her were connected.
“This success by the Miri police is by far the biggest. We will investigate further to determine if the case has other links with others elsewhere,” he said, thanking members of the public for the tip-off that led to the successful raid.
Also at the press conference was Miri police chief ACP Mun Kock Keong.
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