PETALING JAYA: The Immigration Department has crippled a "flying passport" syndicate with the arrest of three suspects believed to have created fake immigration movement records for foreign nationals without them physically passing through the country's border checkpoints.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the suspects, aged between 33 and 41, were arrested during an operation at the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB) in Gelang Patah, Johor, on Thursday (Aug 6).
He said the operation, which began at 10am, involved officers from the department's Intelligence and Special Operations Division at its Putrajaya headquarters, together with Johor Immigration personnel.
"The operation was launched following developments uncovered during Ops Crack, a joint investigation carried out with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
"We also seized mobile phones, premises keys, jewellery, immigration security stamps and RM20,000 in cash," he said in a statement on Friday (Aug 7).
Zakaria said the syndicate collected passports belonging to foreign nationals without requiring the passport holders to be physically present at the country's entry points.
He said agents would send a copy of the passport's biodata page via WhatsApp to their accomplices, who would then scan the details to generate false immigration movement records in the department's system.
"The syndicate charged RM700 for each passport processed through the scheme," he said.
The three suspects are being investigated under Section 12(1)(h) of the Passports Act 1966.
Zakaria said investigations are ongoing to identify the syndicate's wider network, adding that the department would continue taking firm action against activities that undermine the country's immigration system.
