5 Tawau Immigration staff, 7 Mykad holders held for helping illegals board flights undetected: Thousands already in peninsula?
Published on: Sunday, March 26, 2023
By: Lagatah Toyos
Ruji said the Thursday raid involved the Investigation and Enforcement Division of Putrajaya NRD with MACC in a special operation (Ops Lancar) at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) and Bandar Seri Alam in Johor following the arrest of a Filipino security guard in the Klang Valley. Pic on the right is for illustration purpose only by www.self.com
TAWAU: The Home Ministry (KDN) will not compromise on security issues especially when department personnel are involved with syndicates.Ministry Sec-General Datuk Ruji Ubi said this following the crippling of a syndicate involved in smuggling illegal immigrants into the country via Sabah the past two to three years and the possibility that thousands may have taken advantage.
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Nine people, including five Immigration officers, were arrested here on Thursday. The other four were locals believed to be agents of these illegals.
He said the National Registration Department (NRD) and Immigration would cooperate fully with the police and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Ruji said the NRD would act firmly to enforce the law to curb cases of forgery and misuse of documents issued by the department to ensure the security and sovereignty of the country is preserved.
“I have requested the Director General of both the NRD and Immigration to ensure the operations of the department and passengers, especially from Tawau Airport (LTT), who want to fly to Kuala Lumpur are unaffected,” he said, after handing over the Tawau NRD office and residential building project, Saturday.
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Ruji said the Thursday raid involved the Investigation and Enforcement Division of Putrajaya NRD with MACC in a special operation (Ops Lancar) at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) and Bandar Seri Alam in Johor following the arrest of a Filipino security guard in the Klang Valley.
“Intelligence found the involvement of agents or syndicates who manage the entry of Filipino citizens from Sabah to peninsula with a payment of RM2,500 per person and are also believed to manage the entry of citizens of that country who have been subject to action or punishment by the NRD for various offences.”
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He said the operation at KLIA 2 led to the arrest of eight Filipinos – six adults, a 15-year-old girl and a 21-month-old boy.
“The six illegals used identity cards belonging to others while the other two did not have any to have passed flight inspections from Tawau to Kuala Lumpur,” he said.
The NRD and MACC operation team then searched a syndicate transit house in Bandar Seri Alam, Masai, Johor, and arrested a Filipino couple who were using fake identity cards.
Following that, Ruji said the NRD mobilised a special operations team from MACC and the police to track down the real owners of the Mykads used by the syndicate.
“The team detained seven Mykad owners at various locations for further investigations on Friday (March 24) and a remand order by the Tawau Magistrate’s Court was issued on Saturday until March 29.
“The five Immigration officers involved are still in MACC custody and possible further detention. It is due to MACC and the police,” he said.
The cases are being investigated under Regulation 25 (1)(e) of the National Registration Regulations 1990 on suspicion of using fake identity cards or those belonging to other individuals.
The penalty is imprisonment of not more than three years or a fine not more than RM20,000, or both, if convicted.
Ruji called on the public to channel any information related to misconduct and falsification of JPN documents by submitting further information via e-mail [email protected] or through the Public Complaints Management System (SiSPAA) or telephone 03-8880 7077.
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