KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 — An immigration officer was arrested on suspicion of bringing six Indian men into the country without valid documents, in a syndicate of smuggling foreigners at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2), Sepang, yesterday.
Immigration Department director-general, Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud, said that the six Indian nationals were also arrested at 7.45 pm yesterday.
He said that all the foreigners, aged 20 to 42, were trying to enter the country to work without a valid passport to avoid levy payments.
“The syndicate’s modus operandi is to offer fake e-visas to them to enter Malaysia as tourists.
“The syndicate will provide accommodation facilities, tour programmes and a sum of money to show as if they are genuine tourists,” he said in a statement today.
Khairul Dzaimee said that the 31-year-old immigration officer was found to be complicit in the syndicate by stamping the passports without recording the foreigners’ journeys into the MyImms system.
Based on intelligence information, the syndicate was believed to have been operating since last April, charging between RM5,000 and RM6,000 to each visitor, he said.
“All foreigners detained are being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Passport Act 1966 for trying to enter Malaysia illegally, while the immigration officer will be investigated under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 after the remand order is obtained,” he said.
He added that immigration will continue to increase intelligence and operational efforts to combat smuggling and human trafficking.
“The Immigration Department will not compromise with any party even if it involves immigration officers themselves.
“Those found guilty will receive appropriate punishment under the relevant laws,” he said.
