KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department has crippled a syndicate producing travel documents for foreigners with the arrest of one of its agents and the recovery of RM740,000 cash during a raid at Jalan Mamanda 1 in Ampang.
In the 11.45am raid on Wednesday, the authorities also seized 91 I-Cards, 561 CIDB cards, 42 foreign national passports, 33 company stamps, and 27 files related to various company information.
Immigration director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said the department inspected 16 foreigners, and six of them, including an Indonesian woman, had expired travel documents and were detained.
"We received a public tip-off regarding foreign nationals acting as intermediaries in recruiting workers and managing foreign worker passes.
"All those detained are between 27 and 56 who breached their visas and overstayed in the country," he said in a statement today.
He said the agent was among the six detained by the authorities, and preliminary checks showed he acted as a middleman in producing Temporary Employment Visit Pass (PLKS) visas.
Ruslin said the department will not compromise on any activities that violate the law and will continuously ensure efforts to combat such activities concerning illegal immigrants.
"The department reminds the public not to easily trust any service offers from irresponsible parties involving any payment. Those arrested were taken to the Putrajaya detention centre for further questioning."
Ruslin said the case is being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Immigration Regulations 1963.