PUTRAJAYA: An illegal agent syndicate, which provided visas, passes, and travel documents to foreigners, has been busted with the arrests of 13 individuals.
Immigration Department deputy director-general (operations) Jafri Embok Taha said 11 Bangladeshi men, a male Indian national, and a Malaysian woman were detained in a series of raids at Bandar Menjalara, Jalan Medan Tuanku, Jalan Tiong Nam, and Jalan Cheras in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday (Aug 29).
"We conducted the raids after gathering intelligence for about two weeks.
"We detained the suspects aged between 33 and 53 years old. The local woman detained is believed to be a company owner," he told a press conference on Friday (Aug 30).
Three Bangladeshi men and an Indian man detained had valid passes, while two other Bangladeshi men had overstayed, he said.
"The remaining foreigners detained did not have any travel documents or passes," he added.
Various items were seized, including 530 passports from various countries, a printer, 14 company seals, three birth certificates, and RM13,900 cash, he said.
"The syndicate would illegally offer services to handle matters with the Immigration Department on various issues concerning passports and passes for foreigners, including social visit passes, temporary work permits for foreign workers (PLKS), and visas.
"They charged RM500 for their services and have been operating for a year," he said.
The detained foreigners were brought to the Bukit Jalil Immigration depot for further investigation, he said.
"We also issued notices to six local women to assist with the investigation," he added.
