Doc-forging syndicate busted, two Africans nabbed

KUALA LUMPUR: A syndicate allegedly masterminded by Africans has been busted for forging documents, including passports, in a special operation around Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

The two “masterminds” were arrested in the operation by the Immigration Department on Oct 25.

Immigration director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said a 46-year-old Nigerian, believed to be the main mastermind, was arrested in Kajang, Selangor, after a two-week investigation.

The second suspect, a 56 year old from Ghana, believed to be another mastermind, was arrested at Jalan Kasturi here.

Following the Nigerian’s arrest, the team raided the suspect’s house at Jalan Chan Sow Lin here and seized 10 fake Nigerian passports and a fake student passport sticker.

“The suspect confessed to having obtained the student identification documents (ID) from a Ghanaian man,” he said in a statement yesterday, Bernama reported.

During the Ghanaian’s arrest, the team found a fake student ID card on the suspect and seized two fake student ID cards and six fake immigration i-cards which were recovered during the checks at the suspect’s residence in Cheras.

Ruslin said the enforcement team also seized a fake United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) ID card and seven student ID cards from various universities and colleges in the Klang Valley.

“The syndicate targeted Africans who had problems such as a lack of identity documents and visas in the country before offering its services to produce documents such as passports, student passports, labour cards, i-cards, UNHCR cards and fake student IDs.

The syndicate charged about RM1,000 for each passport and RM200 for other documents.

Both suspects were detained at the Putrajaya Immigration Depot under the Immigration Act 1959/63, the Passports Act 1966, and the Immigration Regulations 1963, he added.