ALOR STAR: A 56-year-old New Zealand citizen was detained by the Kedah Immigration Department today under suspicion of having false security stamps in his passport.
The man was nabbed at 7.30am at the Immigration, Customs and Quarantine Complex during an attempt to exit to Thailand through the Malaysia-Thai border in Bukit Kayu Hitam.
The man was accompanied by a 50-year-old Sarawak-born woman who claimed to be his wife.
Department director Mohamad Yusri Hashim said the officer on duty had doubted the authenticity of the two social visit and exit stamps from the KL International Airport and the Sultan Iskandar Building in Johor Bahru in the man’s passport.
“The couple claimed that they were travelling to Thailand for a vacation. However, we believe the man was planning to transit in Thailand in order to re-enter Malaysia.
“The man was detained at the Immigration lockup for further investigation under Section 56 (1) (I) of Immigration Act 1959/63 (Amendment 2002).
“The woman was only called to record her statement to facilitate investigation,” he said in a statement here.