Kuala lumpur: The Immigration Department has dismantled a syndicate suspected of engaging in online scams, including love scams and the distribution of counterfeit goods, arresting 21 individuals during an operation at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 and Nilai, Negeri Sembilan.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban announced that the syndicate, allegedly operational since early this year, was using a luxury residence in a secluded housing estate in Nilai as its base of operations, amassing an estimated US$50,000. The operation, initiated at 5.55 pm, was the result of public tips and a month-long intelligence effort by the Intelligence and Special Operations Division and the Security and Passport Division at the Immigration Department headquarters in Putrajaya.
Zakaria stated that the operation initially led to the apprehension of a local man believed to be a syndicate member and two Chinese nationals, a man and a woman aged between 50 and 53, at KLIA. Preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate facilitated the entry of foreign nationals into Malaysia, particularly targeting Chinese nationals believed to be blacklisted by the Immigration Department. It was discovered that these individuals possessed two Chinese passports with different numbers, using non-blacklisted passports to pass through KLIA's e-Gate. Inspections of their belongings confirmed the presence of blacklisted Chinese passports.
The local man was suspected of acting as a driver for the Chinese nationals, transporting them to designated locations. Following interrogations, the operation team conducted a search at a residential property in Taman Desa Melati, Nilai, where they arrested the alleged masterminds, consisting of two Chinese men, a Chinese woman, and a Russian woman.
The operation also resulted in the arrest of 13 alleged syndicate members, including nine Chinese men, one Chinese woman, and individuals from Vanuatu, Pakistan, India, and Myanmar. The detained foreign nationals, aged 23 to 33, were found to have entered Malaysia on social visit passes.
The syndicate reportedly used platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp to target victims overseas through love scams and the sale of counterfeit goods. The Immigration Department seized 32 Chinese passports, and one passport each from Myanmar, India, Vanuatu, and Russia, as well as 11 desktop computers, a laptop, 44 mobile phones, a Proton X70, and RM4,800 in cash.
Zakaria indicated that the local man and four alleged masterminds were detained for suspected offences under Section 56(1)(d) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. The other foreign nationals were held for suspected offences under Section 15(1)(c) of the same Act and Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963.