PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has crippled an immigration syndicate with the arrest of 46 people, including 27 Immigration Department officers, says a source in the know.
According to the source, the suspects were arrested in Putrajaya, Selangor, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak in a joint MACC and Immigration Department sting operation called “Ops Selat”.
Aside from the 27 immigration officers, 14 foreign worker agents and five members of the public acting as middlemen were arrested.
The syndicate, which has been active for the past year, operated out of the country’s main gateways including KLIA, klia2 and the Sultan Ismail Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine building (BIS).
“They have been on the MACC’s radar since the movement control order (MCO) came into effect on March 18 and during the lockdown, they ramped up their corrupt activities,” said the source.
The syndicate catered to employers of foreign workers who wanted them to remain here or return to their home country.
The source explained the syndicate had two modus operandi, the first being a “flying passport” for those who came to Malaysia using social visas but were working here illegally. This he said, included those working in bars and massage centres.
“The agents will collect their passports and pay the immigration officers to stamp their passports to indicate that they have left the country after three months and re-entered legally. This way they can stay for another three months.
“But none of the passport holders actually went to immigration offices nor left the country.”
The second modus operandi, the source said, was “setting counters” for migrants who have been blacklisted for immigration offences.
“These migrants would go to the ‘setting counters’ at KLIA and pay up to RM6,000 to be allowed to leave the country even though they have been blacklisted from travelling.”
MACC Investigations Director Norazlan Mohd Razali confirmed the arrests but declined further comments.