Kuala lumpur: The Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM) has successfully dismantled a syndicate involved in the illicit supply of foreign workers through the misuse of foreign worker quotas, known as the "Badul" syndicate. The operation, labelled Ops Serkap, took place at a business premise on Jalan Desa Pandan, Kuala Lumpur.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Immigration Director-General Datuk Zakaria Shaaban reported that the operation was carried out by the Enforcement Division following detailed intelligence gathering. The raid targeted a second-floor shop-lot building, resulting in the arrest of nine individuals aged between 26 and 61. The detainees included eight Bangladeshi men and one Indonesian woman. Additionally, two local employees received witness summonses to assist in the ongoing investigation.
Initial investigations revealed that the company misused foreign worker quota approvals, initially granted for their own needs, by illegitimately selling, transferring, and distributing foreign labor to third parties. Each transaction incurred a fee ranging from RM3,000 to RM8,000, showcasing elements of organized trafficking and commercialization of foreign labor.
The company is believed to have generated nearly RM1 million in annual profits. Their tactics involved providing fake leave letters to foreign workers to evade detention, arranging the release of detained foreign workers for a fee, and acting as intermediaries for unauthorized work pass and visa renewals.
Zakaria highlighted that the syndicate was active in supplying unauthorized foreign workers nationally, reflecting an organized abuse of the immigration system that threatens national security and sovereignty. During the operation, authorities confiscated 48 passports belonging to Indonesians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, and Indians, along with 497 foreign worker i-Kads, 38 Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) cards, RM13,000 in cash, and related documents and equipment.
Currently, all detained foreigners are held at the Putrajaya Immigration Depot for further investigation under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Immigration Regulations 1963. Zakaria emphasized that strict actions will be taken against those who harbor, employ, or conspire with undocumented foreigners.