KUALA LUMPUR: Two foreigners, one from India and the other from Bangladesh, are suspected of running a syndicate that specializes in counterfeit documents.
The syndicate allegedly provided fake passports, Temporary Work Visit Passes, and Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) cards for prices ranging from RM500 to RM1,000.
Datuk Ruslin Jusoh, the director general of the Immigration Department, stated that a special operation was initiated on Wednesday (Feb 14) to dismantle the syndicate.
“The operation commenced at 2 pm and involved a team of officers and members of various ranks from the Intelligence and Special Operations Division and Special Tactical Force (PASTAK).
“These teams carried out raids at two locations in Petaling Jaya and Jalan Alor, Kuala Lumpur, and apprehended a 28-year-old Indian and a 31-year-old Bangladeshi,” he said in a statement on Thursday (Feb 15).
He mentioned that the two suspects are believed to be the masterminds behind the entire operation.
“Both suspects did not possess valid passports.
“Additionally, we detained two other Bangladeshi men, aged 28, who are believed to be members of the syndicate,” he said, adding that one of the suspects did not have a valid passport while the other overstayed.
They seized four copies of Indian passports belonging to other individuals, a duplicate Indian passport suspected to be fake, a copy of a Pakistani passport belonging to someone else, a suspected fake Pakistani passport, a copy of a Bangladesh passport, 26 suspected fake Temporary Work Visit Passes (PLKS), two suspected fake CIDB cards, two laptops, and a printer.
“The syndicate’s operation targeted clients from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan who encountered issues in Malaysia such as lacking proper documents and visas.
“The suspects would approach those facing these problems and offer their forgery services,” he said, adding that the syndicate is believed to have been in operation for one year.
He revealed that they charged around RM1,000 for each passport copy, and RM500 for Temporary Work Visit Passes and CIDB cards.
“The suspects have been detained at the Putrajaya Immigration Depot for further investigations.
“The department will continue to take strict action against any party found to commit an offense under the Immigration Act 1959/63, the Passport Act 1966, the Immigration Regulations of 1963 and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (ATIPSOM),” he said.
