PUTRAJAYA: A company director, a Bangladeshi national, has been remanded for his alleged role as a syndicate agent and inducing enforcement officers with bribes to bring in foreigners through a “special counter” at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
The suspect, in his 50s, is believed to have given bribes between RM200 and up to RM25,000 to enforcement officers as a reward for protecting, easing the entry process and for not taking action against foreigners who did not meet conditions when entering the country.
“The suspect is believed to act as a middleman and has been carrying out this activity since 2022.
“He was arrested in a special operation somewhere in the Klang Valley at about 8pm on Sunday night (Sept 22),” said the source.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has submitted an application to remand the individual and Magistrate Irza Zulaikha Rohanuddin allowed for the suspect to be remanded for two days until Sept 24.
MACC director of intelligence Datuk Zainul Darus confirmed the arrest.
On Sept 10, the MACC arrested the owner of a Bangladeshi company believed to be part of a syndicate that conspired to bribe enforcement officers to bring foreigners through special counters at KLIA.
The suspect, in his 40s, was arrested in the capital.
On Sept 18, MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said graft busters had detained 60 people to date, including a senior Immigration officer believed to be the mastermind of a “counter setting” syndicate operating at KLIA.
Counter-setting refers to foreigners entering the country without proper document inspections, and being made to go through designated and pre-determined lanes at the entry point.
As of last week, the MACC have opened 37 investigation papers and recorded statements from 95 individuals.
