PETALING JAYA: A special operation by the Immigration Department saw the busting of two syndicates selling fake e-temporary work permits for foreign workers (PLKS).
In a statement on Saturday (July 12), Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said that the operations were conducted on July 10.
He said that the first saw the busting of the "Zakeer" syndicate, where three Bangladeshi men were arrested in Jalan Pudu.
"All three, aged between 40 and 50 years old, were found to have valid PLKS permits in the construction industry.
"The operation team also seized 130 Bangladeshi passports and three Indonesian ones, alongside three handphones. The syndicate targeted foreigners based in the Klang Valley who needed to update their permits," he said.
Investigations showed that the group charged between RM2,500 and RM6,000 for each application, and that they had been active for a year.
He said the second group, dubbed the "Shaheed" syndicate, was busted on the same day in Ampang Baru.
Two Pakistani and a Myanmar man were arrested, aged between 33 and 43 years old.
"Investigations showed that one of the Pakistani suspects had a valid PLKS under the sanitation sector, whereas the other had overstayed. The Myanmar suspect was found to be with a UNHCR card," he said.
Among the items seized were five foreign passports and 24 "Malaysia Pass" stickers that were believed to be fake.
"They charged between RM80 and RM500 for their service," he said.
All arrested suspects have been brought to the Putrajaya Immigration Department headquarters for further investigation. A Bangladeshi man has also been issued a notice to present himself to assist in the investigation into the Zakeer gang as well.
