KOTA KINABALU – The Sabah Immigration Department uncovered a fake documentation syndicate in a raid near Sembulan, here, this week.
The operation, codenamed “Op Bersatu Serkap”, saw the arrest of six individuals and seizure of numerous immigration entry permits, MyKad applications and security stamps yesterday and on Wednesday.
Sabah Immigration director Datuk Sh Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof said among the six arrested is a woman suspected to be the mastermind behind the forged document ring.
In the first raid, three men and two women, aged between 24 and 52, were detained in an unnumbered house in Kg Sembulan Lama after they were found in possession of fake entry permits. The raid was held at 10.30pm on Wednesday night.
Sitti said 28 entry permits, 16 instructional notes, 15 payment receipts, RM2,288 cash, two laptops, four smartphones, 28 IMM 13 documents, two stamp pads, a fake MyKad temporary receipt and a MyKad registration paper, all of which are believed to be fake, were found in the house.
She said a 59-year-old woman believed to be the mastermind in the operation was detained around 1pm near the Sembulan Riverside Park yesterday.
Eighteen MyKad receipts and RM744 in cash were found on her during the arrest.
“Our men were brought to search a house in Kuala Menggatal following her arrest. Officers found 15 MyKad application papers complete with pictures and fingerprints in the house,” said Sitti, adding that the syndicate was charging between RM100 to RM800 for the documents.
She said the department suspected the woman could be one of the masterminds in the syndicate.
Sitti added that one more suspect is still at large and believed to be residing in Peninsular Malaysia, based on the Immigration Department’s early investigations into the case.
However, she noted that the case might not be connected to the arrests of several Filipino migrants and immigration officers last week.
The case is still being investigated under Section 55D and Section 56(1)(I) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963.
The department said it is believed that the suspects had been active since April last year and may have collected between RM60,000 and RM100,00 from the illicit business. – The Vibes, March 31, 2023
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