PUTRAJAYA: Against the backdrop of heightened scrutiny over “tonto” syndicates, Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban has made it clear that the department will not shield its own officers if they are found to be leaking enforcement information.
He warned that he would not hesitate to report any personnel implicated in such activities to the authorities.
“If individuals involved are identified, reports will be lodged with the relevant enforcement agencies for further action,” he said at a press conference after attending the Immigration Department’s Semarak Ramadan programme at its headquarters here yesterday.
Zakaria said information leaks could derail enforcement operations, with targets fleeing before raids are carried out.
To counter this, he said operations are strategically planned and tightly controlled.
“We strictly safeguard operational confidentiality. Not all officers involved are informed of the raid location or other operational details,” he added.
His remarks came after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) reportedly uncovered a list of enforcement officers suspected of receiving bribes from middlemen syndicates known as “tonto” following a recent raid.
According to sources, the discovery was made during the questioning of several key suspects arrested under Ops Middleman, which was carried out in several states.
Investigations revealed that the enforcement officers allegedly received monthly bribes ranging from RM1,600 to RM2,500 from company middlemen or commercial vehicle owners in exchange for not taking legal action against them.
In a separate development, the department will lodge a police report after one of its officers was rammed and injured during an operation at a nightclub in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, early yesterday morning.
Zakaria said the 3am operation was aimed at detecting foreigners who had violated immigration regulations when intoxicated patrons attempted to flee, causing an officer to be knocked down.
“The officer sustained a fracture to his left leg and is currently receiving treatment at Hospital Kuala Lumpur. He is in stable condition,” he said.
Meanwhile, enforcement checks at 29 Ramadan bazaars nationwide between Feb 19 and 25 saw 131 foreign nationals inspected, resulting in 31 arrests for various immigration offences.
Zakaria said operations would continue throughout the fasting month, although action could not be taken against valid United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cardholders under existing provisions.
Asked about the Migrant Repatriation Programme, Zakaria said it has recorded 177,000 registrations as of Feb 23, with more than 100,000 individuals repatriated, generating RM88mil in revenue.
The programme runs until April 30, with discussions on a possible extension still ongoing.
