Johor: The Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM) has dismantled a 'flying passport' syndicate with the arrest of three suspects at the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB) in Gelang Patah, Johor, said Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban. He explained that the operation, which began at 10 am, involved a team of officers and personnel from the Putrajaya Immigration headquarters Intelligence and Special Operations Division and Johor JIM.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the arrests were the result of follow-up action by JIM, based on developments from investigations under Ops Crack conducted earlier in collaboration with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. The operations team was deployed to the location and detained three individuals aged between 33 and 41.

The team seized mobile phones, keys to a premise, jewellery, Immigration security stamps, and RM20,000 in cash during the operation. Zakaria stated that the suspects were detained for allegedly committing offences under Section 12(1)(h) of the Passport Act 1966, and they were taken to the Immigration Office for further action.

The syndicate's modus operandi involved collecting passports belonging to foreign nationals without requiring the document owners' physical presence at the country's entry points. Copies of the passport front pages were then sent by the syndicate's agents via WhatsApp to collaborators to be scanned, creating false movement records in JIM's system. Agents charged RM700 for each foreign passport using the syndicate's services.

Zakaria emphasized that investigations would continue to identify the syndicate's network. He assured that firm action will be taken to curb any activities that violate the law to ensure the country's stability and prosperity remain safeguarded.