KUALA LUMPUR: A local man, who allegedly used a forged passport and a foreign woman were detained by the Immigration Department in a special operation at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Jalan Kuching.
The man was detained at KLIA's Terminal 1 as he attempted to leave the country, said Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban.
"He was trying to exit Malaysia using an Indian passport believed to have been tampered with, either through falsified biodata details or by using someone else’s passport," he said in a statement on Monday (Dec 8).
Zakaria said the operation was conducted at about 11am on Sunday by the department’s Intelligence and Special Operations division, aided by the National Registration Department (NRD) and the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS).
Following the first arrest, the team proceeded to a residential high-rise building at Jalan Kuching, where they detained a female Indian national.
"Preliminary checks showed she had overstayed her permitted period in the country," Zakaria added.
He said several items were seized, including two Indian passports, a boarding pass and a mobile phone.
"The foreign woman also allegedly attempted to flee with the Malaysian suspect’s MyKad but was stopped by enforcement personnel," he said.
The local man is being investigated under Section 12(1)(b) of the Passports Act 1966, while the foreign woman is being probed under Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for overstaying.
"She will also be investigated by the NRD under Regulation 25(1) of the National Registration Regulations 1990.
Both suspects were taken to Immigration headquarters in Putrajaya for further action.
“Two Malaysian individuals — one man and one woman — have also been issued notices to appear to assist with investigations," he said.
He stressed that the department will continue taking firm action against activities that violate national laws, in line with the government’s principles to safeguard the country’s stability and prosperity.
