Kuala lumpur: The Immigration Department (JIM) has further tightened its operational strategies to curb the activities of middlemen syndicates, known as 'tonto', believed to be undermining the department's enforcement efforts at all levels. Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban stated that monitoring of tonto activities is conducted continuously, as the issue is not new and is also faced by other enforcement agencies in the country.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Datuk Zakaria emphasized the importance of planning strategies carefully during operations to avoid detection by the tonto. He mentioned that if individuals involved in such activities are identified, reports will be lodged with the relevant enforcement agencies for further action. Zakaria highlighted that tonto activities contribute to the failure of certain operations by leaking information about the movements of enforcement teams, allowing targeted parties to escape.

Zakaria elaborated on the department's approach, noting that strategies are organized in such a way that movements cannot be easily predicted. He stated that even within their own ranks, not all officers are aware of operational movements and strategies to prevent leaks. When questioned about the role of tonto activities in the influx of illegal immigrants, he acknowledged multiple contributing factors while admitting that tonto activities do impede enforcement efforts.

The issue gained further attention following a media report revealing that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had uncovered a list of enforcement officers suspected of receiving bribes from the tonto syndicates, which was crippled during a recent raid.