The Immigration Department (JIM) has dismantled a suspected ‘Flying Passport’ syndicate believed to have been involved in creating fake movement records for foreign nationals through the country’s immigration system.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said three individuals, aged between 33 and 41, were arrested during a special operation at Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB), Gelang Patah, Johor at about 10am yesterday.
He said the operation was carried out by officers from the Intelligence and Special Operations Division at the Immigration headquarters in Putrajaya, with the cooperation of JIM Johor following investigations under Op Crack conducted together with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Zakaria said authorities seized several items during the operation, including mobile phones, premises keys, jewellery, immigration security stamps and RM20,000 in cash.
He explained that the syndicate’s modus operandi involved collecting passports belonging to foreign nationals without requiring the document owners to be physically present at the country’s entry points.
The front-page copies of the passports would then be sent by syndicate agents through WhatsApp to accomplices, who would scan the documents to create fake records of entry and exit movements in the JIM system.
The syndicate allegedly charged RM700 for each foreign passport processed through its illegal service, he said.
All three suspects were detained for alleged offences under Section 12(1)(h) of the Passports Act 1966 and were taken to the Immigration Office for further action.
Zakaria said JIM would continue conducting a comprehensive investigation to identify the syndicate’s wider network and take firm action against any parties involved in activities that violate the country’s laws.
He added that strict enforcement measures would remain in place to safeguard national security and ensure the integrity of Malaysia’s immigration system.
