Immigration Department cripples document forgery syndicate

KUALA LUMPUR: The ImmigrationDepartmentofMalaysia (Jim) has crippled a syndicate producing forged immigration documents in an operation at Jalan Masjid India here on Monday night.

Its director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said the syndicate which had been operating from a travel agency premises, was believed to have hacked into the department’s MYIMMS online system.

He said the syndicate imposed a fee of RM7,000 on foreign workers who have not entered Malaysia and RM1,500 on those already in country for the Visa with Reference (VDR) letter to be entered into system, with the guarantee that every application would be approved.

"When the worker’s information has been entered into the system the syndicate will get the Visit Pass – Temporary Work (PLKS) sticker through MYEG.

"We believe the syndicate has been managing the entry of foreign workers especially from India and Sri Lanka for eight years and has raked in millions of ringgit," he told reporters at the Ministry of Home Affairs Complex here yesterday.

According to him, following the raid on the premises eight Indian nationals and a local man aged between 23 and 73 were detained under Section 12 (1) (f) of the Passport Act 1966.