ISKANDAR PUTERI – Two Immigration officers were arrested this afternoon to assist in the investigation into a syndicate smuggling blacklisted undocumented migrants into the country.
Immigration Department Director-General Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud said the two officers, aged 20 and 27, were stationed at the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (SABC) here.
He said earlier the department busted a syndicate known as “Ah Chong” in an operation carried out at the Larkin Sentral bus terminal and arrested 25 irregular migrants from Indonesia comprising 13 men and 12 women, as well as two local men aged 34 and 39 believed to be the transporters.
He said this during a media conference at SABC, here today.
He added that the syndicate was suspected to have been active in smuggling blacklisted undocumented migrants banned from entering the country since the reopening of the country’s borders in April.
The migrants were charged between RM5,000 and RM8,000 each, he said, adding that the syndicate might have smuggled at least 600 such migrants, raking in over RM2.5 million in profits.
“The modus operandi of this syndicate is to smuggle (undocumented migrants) into the country through Linkedua, and the two Immigration officers at SABC will let them go uninspected before the (migrants) are taken to Larkin Sentral by bus.
“At Larkin Sentral, there is a special room provided by the syndicate to give them fake passport stamps to trick the authorities and then they will be put on a bus to the Southern Integrated Terminal in Kuala Lumpur,” he said.
Khairul Dzaimee said the migrants were being detained under Section 36 of the Immigration Act 1959/63, while the Immigration officers and the two local suspects were being investigated under Section 26A of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
“The Immigration Department will not compromise with any of its officers and personnel who are found to be colluding with migrant smugglers,” he added. – Bernama, October 12, 2022
