A syndicate involved in forging long-term passes and offering fraudulent supporting documents for United States visa applications has been uncovered, following the arrest of three Chinese nationals on Wednesday.
Immigration Department Director-General Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the suspects — a man and two women aged between 25 and 54 — were detained at approximately 11.25am. Initial checks revealed that all three were in possession of Social Visit Passes believed to be falsified.
Authorities also seized three passports issued by the People’s Republic of China, each containing stickers of Social Visit Passes (Dependent) under the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme, which are suspected to have been forged.
Zakaria noted that the arrests were part of a follow-up operation after authorities dismantled a similar syndicate on October 8 last year. In that earlier raid, six Chinese nationals and two local men believed to be acting as agents for the group were apprehended.
Investigations revealed that the syndicate supplied a range of fake long-term passes, allegedly issued by the Immigration Department, to be used as supporting documents in US visa applications. These documents were believed to be used to mislead embassy officials and facilitate visa approval processes.
All foreign nationals arrested in the latest operation have been placed at the Putrajaya Immigration Depot to assist in further investigations. The case is being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63, the Passport Act 1966, and Immigration Regulations 1963.
In a separate development, the Immigration Department also detained 11 Chinese nationals suspected of misusing Social Visit Passes and Employment Passes in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.
Zakaria said that five individuals were arrested during inspections at four retail outlets and restaurants in Dengkil, Selangor, at around 10.30am on Tuesday. They were believed to be operating businesses and working without valid permits after entering the country as tourists.
In another raid conducted at 5pm the same day in Kepong, six Chinese women were detained for allegedly misusing their Social Visit Passes and Employment Passes by working as masseuses. They are also suspected of offering immoral services priced between RM100 and RM300 per session.
A Malaysian man believed to be the employer and caretaker of the premises was also arrested during the operation. All detained individuals, aged between 28 and 53, have been placed at the Putrajaya Immigration Depot as investigations continue under relevant immigration laws.
