PETALING JAYA: A foreign couple has been arrested by the Immigration Department for acting as illegal agents offering immigration services to customers.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the Vietnamese couple were arrested on Sept 11 in Ampang after a month's surveillance.
"The team raided a residential premises and arrested the Vietnamese couple, both aged 34. A 10-month-old Vietnamese boy, believed to be their child, was also found.
"Checks at the premises resulted in the seizure of seven Vietnamese passports and five suspected fake Vietnamese authority stamps.
"Also seized were a mobile phone, a desktop computer, a copy of the tenancy agreement for the premises, several Vietnamese citizenship verification forms and Vietnamese passport application forms.
"Preliminary investigations found that the couple acted as illegal agents by offering immigration-related services, particularly to Vietnamese nationals. Among the services offered were arranging extensions of passes, special passes and return flight tickets to Vietnam for undocumented migrants held at detention depots.
"The services reportedly cost up to RM12,000 per person, depending on the type of application or arrangement involved. The activities are believed to have been operating since 2025," he said in a statement on Monday (Sept 14).
Investigations also showed that the man had overstayed his pass while the woman was in possession of a Foreign Domestic Helper pass.
"The child also did not possess any valid pass or travel document to remain in the country," he said, adding all three were taken to the Putrajaya Immigration Office for further action.
He added that the forged stamps were also being investigated and further checks are underway to determine other accomplices.
