PUTRAJAYA, March 6 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) has busted an illegal foreign worker agency, detaining six foreign nationals in special operations at three locations - Taman Kemuning Utama in Shah Alam, Taman Pandan Cahaya, and Jalan Datuk Eusoff in Kuala Lumpur.
Immigration Director-General Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the suspects, five Bangladeshis and one Pakistani, aged between 30 and 50, were detained yesterday.
He said that based on public information and intelligence collected over three weeks, the operation team arrived at the locations to investigate 17 individuals present.
"One of the detained Bangladeshi nationals is believed to be the employer of all the foreign workers involved," he said in a statement today.
Zakaria said initial checks revealed that one Bangladeshi man possessed a valid pass, another had overstayed, and one Bangladeshi and the Pakistani national had violated their pass conditions.
Meanwhile, he said two Bangladeshi men were found without travel documents or valid permits to remain in the country.
Zakaria said JIM confiscated 394 Bangladeshi passports, six Indonesian passports, two Indian passports, nine Pakistani passports, one Filipino passport, three mobile phones, company stamps, and cash, totalling RM12,550.
A Honda Insight Hybrid car was also seized for investigation, he said, adding that the company is believed to have been operating for a year.
"The company's modus operandi was to supply foreign workers approved under the foreign worker quota system through calling visas and previous recalibration programmes.
"This company supplied foreign workers to employers blacklisted from applying for foreign worker quotas, charging RM8,000 per worker," he said.
Zakaria also said that the company offers Temporary Employment Visit Pass (PLKS) extension services, with fees ranging from RM4,000 to RM6,000 per worker annually.
All detainees were taken to the Putrajaya Immigration Office for further investigation under the Immigration Act 1959/63, Immigration Regulations 1963, Passport Act 1966, and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
-- BERNAMA
