Held over fake work passes
Fraud mill: Several items were seized including 13 fake immigration stickers, including for Bangladesh, India, the United States, Indonesia and Pakistan, as well as a biometric passport front label for Bangladesh.
Civil servants nabbed in raids targeting Klang Valley syndicate
KUALA LUMPUR: Two civil servants were among three individuals detained in connection with selling fake e-temporary work permits for foreign workers (PLKS) following several raids in the Klang Valley.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the syndicate is believed to have charged RM11,000 per person and has been operating since late last year.
It is learnt that the syndicate's modus operandi involved offering PLKS services to undocumented foreigners residing in the Klang Valley, he said.
'Investigations found that the details on the e-PLKS did not exist in the official immigration system.
'We carried out the raid in Maluri, Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya on Monday following two weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering,' he said yesterday.
Zakaria said the department's enforcement team detained two local women and a man aged between 40 and 43 suspected to be involved in the syndicate's operations.
'Initial investigations revealed that one of the women and the man are civil servants.'
A total of 101 passports from multiple countries (74 Sri Lankan passports, 13 from Myanmar, six from Vietnam, two from Indonesia, two from Ghana, and one each from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Syria) were seized during the special operation, he added.
The desktop computer, laptop and printer reportedly used in the process of making fake visas.
'My officers also seized two mobile phones, a copy of a Companies Commission of Malaysia registration document and a luxury vehicle believed to have been used by the syndicate.'
Zakaria said two other individuals have been issued notices to assist in the investigation.
In a separate operation, a Pakistani man, believed to be the mastermind behind a fake visa syndicate, was nabbed following raids at two locations along Jalan Ipoh on the same day.
Zakaria said during the raids, which began at 11am on June 16, officers inspected premises where a man and two women, all locals, were found conducting transactions.
'A Pakistani man, believed to be the syndicate's mastermind, was also detained at the scene.
'Initial checks revealed that the foreign suspect did not possess any valid travel documents or permit to be in the country.'
Several items were seized including 13 fake immigration stickers, including for Bangladesh, India, the United States, Indonesia and Pakistan, as well as a biometric passport front label for Bangladesh, he said.
'We also seized a desktop computer, laptop and printer used in the forgery process,' he added.
Zakaria said investigations revealed that the syndicate was producing and selling counterfeit immigration stickers to undocumented migrants residing in Malaysia.
'These fake visas were sold at prices ranging between RM100 and RM120 each, depending on the country of origin,' he said.
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