Immigration Department dismantles syndicate using forged documents to obtain passports, arresting eight including an officer, with fees up to RM7,000.
PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department has dismantled a syndicate that used forged documents to fraudulently obtain Malaysian passports.
A simultaneous special operation yesterday also led to the arrest of an immigration officer believed to have acted as a facilitator.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said a month-long investigation based on intelligence led to the breakthrough.
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Teams were deployed across ten locations, comprising six in Perak and two each in Melaka and Johor.
Eight individuals were arrested, comprising five men and two women aged between 32 and 61.
One of the men is believed to be a core member of the syndicate.
An immigration officer suspected of being the group’s ‘facilitator’ was also detained.
The group is believed to have been operating since January 2025.
Zakaria added that four birth certificates, one Malaysian passport, eight mobile phones, and thirteen copies of application forms were seized.
Preliminary investigation found that two women and one man posed as legal guardians.
They escorted a Sri Lankan boy and girl to an immigration office to fraudulently apply for Malaysian passports.
Three other men used their identification cards to submit passport applications for adult Sri Lankan citizens.
The syndicate reportedly charged a fee of between RM5,000 and RM7,000 for each passport, for both children and adults.
Zakaria said the suspects have been remanded for further investigation under the Passports Act 1966.
Another seven men and five women have been issued notices to present themselves at the Immigration Department to assist with the case. – Bernama
