PETALING JAYA: Immigration officers have detained a repeat offender who allegedly ran an illegal immigration services racket, targeting Indian nationals in the Klang Valley and charging up to RM1,500 per application.
In a statement issued today, Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the suspect, a Malaysian man, was arrested in a special operation on Oct 7 following two weeks of intelligence gathering.
“The operation, which began at 4.10pm, involved a team of officers and personnel from the Intelligence and Special Operations Division at the Immigration headquarters in Putrajaya.
“Acting on two weeks of surveillance, the team arrested a Malaysian man and seized eight Indian passports, a mobile phone and a Honda CRV believed to have been used in the activities,” Zakaria said.
Investigations revealed the suspect’s modus operandi was to offer immigration services relating to Special Pass and Professional Visitor Pass (PLIK) applications.
The suspect’s main targets were Indian nationals residing in the Klang Valley.
“The suspect did not have authorisation from the Immigration Department or any letter of authority to represent employers in handling foreign nationals’ passports.
“Fees charged ranged from RM400 to RM1,500 for each service,” Zakaria said.
Preliminary checks also showed the man had previously been arrested in 2024 for a similar offence and was convicted.
He is now being investigated under Section 12(1)(f) of the Passport Act 1966. The authorities confirmed that another Malaysian man has been issued a notice to appear at its Putrajaya office to assist in the investigation.