PETALING JAYA: A syndicate abusing foreign worker quotas was crippled after Immigration Department officers seized nearly 350 passports during a raid on an establishment in Ampang.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the operation took place on Thursday (Oct 8) in Taman Dato’ Ahmad Razali.
Officers arrested two Bangladeshi men suspected of running the business, alongside six local female employees. Twelve foreign national customers, nine Bangladeshi men and three Indonesian women, were also detained on site.
"Enforcement teams seized 265 Bangladeshi passports, 63 Indonesian passports, 12 Pakistani passports, and one Indian passport," Zakaria said on Friday (Ocr 9). "Officers also confiscated RM6,700 in cash, believed to be proceeds from customers."
Investigations revealed the syndicate operated an "Employer A-to-B" scheme, submitting falsified corporate profiles to secure foreign worker quotas under the guise of legitimate business operations.
"Once the workers were brought into the country under Temporary Employment Visit Passes (PLKS), they were never employed by the sponsoring company (Employer A). Instead, they were supplied to third-party companies (Employer B) for profit or worked independently," Zakaria explained.
The syndicate allegedly pocketed between RM3,800 and RM5,000 per worker. To evade taxes, the participating companies submitted false financial records declaring far lower profits than actually earned.
The primary business owner also failed to declare any personal income from 2020 to 2023.
The owner, manager, and local employees were arrested under Section 56(1)(l) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Section 12(1)(f) of the Passports Act 1966. The 12 customers were detained for various offences under immigration laws and regulations.
Additionally, the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) has launched a separate probe into the owner under Sections 112(3) and 113(2) of the Income Tax Act 1967 for non-declaration and inaccurate reporting of income.
Zakaria warned that the department will continue targeting not only pass violators, but also the masterminds and facilitators profiting from illegal labour schemes.
