Travel Document Forgery Syndicate Busted, Three Held - Immigration DG

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 9 (Bernama) -- The Immigration Department dismantled a document forgery and fake stamp syndicate on Sept 5 and 6, believed to have been operated by Pakistani nationals and active in the Klang Valley since the beginning of the year.

Immigration director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said that following the arrest of a Pakistani man and an Indian woman in Subang Jaya, Selangor, authorities have also detained another Pakistani man, identified as Azhar, who is suspected to be the main mastermind of the syndicate, in Jalan Raja, Kuala Lumpur.

The investigation led the team to a residential unit in Jalan Desa Bakti, Sungai Besi, where they seized 50 counterfeit temporary employment visit passes (PLKS), 28 fake immigration stamps for entry and exit, 16 passports from various countries, as well as a laptop, a printing machine, a photo printer, hologram stickers, a fake MyKad, and fake Malaysian driving licences.

“All three individuals, aged 44 to 50, have been detained for 14 days starting Sept 6 at the Bukit Jalil Immigration Depot,” he said at a press conference on the department’s ‘Ops Khas’ operations.

“Preliminary checks revealed that the two Pakistani men have valid PLKS, while the Indian woman has overstayed,” he added.

Ruslin said that the case was being investigated under Sections 55D and 56 (1) (I) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, Section 12 (1)(f) of the Passport Act 1966 and Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963.

He explained that the syndicate's modus operandi involves offering document preparation services to foreigners who either lack travel documents or have expired ones, through social media platforms.

The fees charged by the syndicate range from RM100 to RM300 for immigration stamps, RM150 to RM300 for PLKS stickers, and RM800 to RM1,000 for special passes.

When asked about the employment sector in which the two Pakistanis were registered, Ruslin noted that initial checks indicated they were registered in the textile sector. He plans to contact their employers for further investigation.

“We will investigate all angles to determine if the employer is also involved in this syndicate. Legal action will be taken if employers are found to be complicit,” he said.

Regarding actions against employers, Ruslin said that 1,087 employers have been arrested so far for employing undocumented foreign workers and for illegally protecting foreigners.

He added that such employers will face prosecution under the Immigration Act 1959/63.

-- BERNAMA