KUALA LUMPUR: Nine Bangladeshi men were detained in connection with an illegal sim-card selling racket at KL International Airport Terminal 1.
Immigration department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the special operation was conducted at about 1.30pm on Monday (March 10) at the airport's arrival hall following two weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering.
"We inspected and subsequently detained nine Bangladeshi men aged between 22 and 50.
"We also seized various items including four Bangladeshi passports, 10 mobile phones, 121 sim cards, and RM1,550 cash," he said in a statement on Tuesday (March 11).
Zakaria said the syndicate would target Bangladeshi tourists, who had just arrived at KLIA and sell them the sim cards of various telcos in Malaysia.
"Each sim card is sold at RM25 but all of the sim cards are registered under different names (not the names of the one who bought it)," he added.
Initial investigation revealed that the racket could earn up to RM2,000 daily by selling the sim cards, he said.
"We believe they have been operating for about two months.
"Five of those detained did not have any valid travel documents, two had overstayed while two others had violated their temporary work permits for foreign workers conditions," he said.
Zakaria said all suspects were brought to the Putrajaya office for further investigation.
"We will step up enforcement efforts and stern action will be taken against those who violate immigration laws," he said.
