THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has arrested 12 individuals, including six Immigration Department officers and a police officer, over their alleged involvement in a syndicate that hacked the Malaysian Immigration System (MyIMMs) to fraudulently approve Temporary Employment Visit Passes (PLKS).
The syndicate is believed to have manipulated the immigration system by exploiting unused 2011 PLKS quotas without paying the required levy, resulting in the issuance of 1,306 fraudulent work passes and causing an estimated RM2.4 million loss to the government.
MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman said the suspects were detained during a joint operation, codenamed Ops Crack, carried out in collaboration with the Immigration Department beginning on Monday.
Those arrested comprised two company directors, three foreign nationals, four Immigration enforcement officers, two officers from the Immigration Department's Information Technology Division and one police officer.
“MACC, in collaboration with the Immigration Department, carried out an integrated operation to cripple a syndicate involved in hacking the MyIMMs system in connection with the unlawful processing and approval of PLKS applications.
“During the operation conducted yesterday afternoon, 12 individuals aged between their 30s and 40s were arrested between 2pm and 5pm at the MACC headquarters and the Immigration Department office in Penang.
“Initial investigations found that the syndicate used 2011 PLKS quotas without paying the levy for the passes issued, and a total of 1,306 fraudulent PLKS documents were produced, resulting in estimated government losses of RM2.4 million,” he said in a statement.
Abd Halim said MACC officers also searched several company premises and Immigration Department offices in Penang and Putrajaya to assist with the investigation.
He said the operation stemmed from intelligence-sharing between the MACC Intelligence Division and the Immigration Department's Intelligence Division, which had been conducted since May 2026 across the Klang Valley and Penang.
The operation was also supported by CyberSecurity Malaysia, Telekom Malaysia and the MACC's Technology Forensics Division.
The case is being investigated under Section 17(a) and Section 16(a) of the MACC Act 2009.
“All the suspects will be brought before the Putrajaya Magistrates' Court this morning for remand applications,” Abd Halim said. - July 29, 2026
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