PETALING JAYA: Immigration Department (JIM) officers and a police officer are among 12 people arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for allegedly being involved in a syndicate that hacked the Malaysian Immigration System (MyIMMs) to unlawfully approve Temporary Employment Visit Pass (PLKS) applications.
The activities are believed to have caused an estimated RM2.4mil in losses to the government.
MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman said those arrested under Ops Crack on Tuesday comprised two company directors, three foreign nationals, four Immigration officers, two officers from the Immigration Department’s Information Technology Division and one police officer.
The suspects, aged in their 30s and 40s, were arrested on Tuesday at the MACC headquarters and the Penang Immigration Department.
“Preliminary investigations found that the syndicate exploited the 2011 PLKS quota without paying the levy.
“A total of 1,306 fraudulent PLKS passes were issued, resulting in an estimated RM2.4mil in losses to the government,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Abd Halim said the operation was a result of intelligence sharing between the MACC and Immigration Department since May in the Klang Valley and Penang.
“The operation was also assisted by CyberSecurity Malaysia, Telekom Malaysia and the MACC Technology Forensics Division.
“Searches were also carried out at company premises and Immigration Department offices in Penang and Putrajaya,” he said.
The case is being investigated under Sections 17(a) and 16(a) of the MACC Act 2009, and all the suspects have been brought before the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court for remand proceedings.
A Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court yesterday granted the MACC a three-day remand until July 31 for five male suspects, and a two-day remand until July 30 for another five male suspects and two female suspects. The remand orders were issued by Magistrate Ezrene Zakariah following an application by the MACC.
According to a source, preliminary investigations found that the syndicate paid bribes ranging from RM1,000 to RM6,000 for each PLKS application to JIM officers, who allegedly helped secure approvals without following the proper procedures.
The MACC also seized movable assets, including RM186,360 in cash, S$700 in cash, and jewellery worth RM15,700.
Mobile phones, laptops and other electronic devices estimated to be worth RM36,000 were also seized.
