KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 47 syndicates involved in bringing in illegal migrants into the country have been crippled, revealed Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
"As of October this year, joint enforcement operations between the Immigration Department and other enforcement agencies such as the police and Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) have crippled 47 syndicates.
"This includes arresting 1,285 syndicate members and illegal migrants," the Home Minister said when replying to a question by Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan in Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Oct 16).
He added that the Immigration officers manning the entry point counters had also issued "not to land" (NTL) notices to 25,214 foreigners who were barred entry into the country.
He added that a special task force had been set up to spot-check immigration counters at the airports to tackle "counter-setting".
"For example, if the task force notices travellers lingering near the immigration counters for four, five, seven or eight hours, this means that they are waiting for a signal from the syndicate to head to a particular counter.
"Due to the action of the task forces, as of September this year, a total of 6,694 travellers were denied entry after they failed to show proof of addresses here or did not have enough money," he said.
On other efforts to tackle counter setting, Saiduddin said that immigration officers were barred from carrying any telecommunication devices while on duty at the airport immigration counters.
"The officers are body checked before going on duty to ensure that they are not carrying any telecommunication devices," he added.
He also said the Immigration Department is also in the final stages of installing CCTV cameras to keep closer tabs on ongoing activities at the immigration counters.
Apart from the recent MACC arrest involving some 50 immigration officers involved in counter-setting, Saiduddin said that the department had also taken disciplinary action against some 300 immigration officers for various infractions.
Meanwhile, Saiduddin chided Lim Lip Eng (PH-Kepong) for trying to pit him against Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing regarding counter-setting involving Immigration officers.
Lim said that the Immigration Department should apologise to Tiong as he was the one who brought up counter-setting activities at KLIA in July last year.
"Please avoid trying to pit me against my friend Bintulu (Tiong's parliamentary constituency)
"We work as a team and in harmony.
"It is normal for us to rebuke and criticise each other occasionally," he said.
Saiduddin noted that the issue of counter-setting had been a long-standing issue and had come to light not just due to Tiong's claims of corruption occurring at immigration counters at KLIA last July.
