Immigration Department busts marriage-for-visa syndicate exploiting seniors
The operation, carried out at 9.19am by officers from the Intelligence and Special Operations Division of the Putrajaya Immigration Headquarters, led to the arrest of five local men aged between 30 and 66.
Four of them were believed to be the main perpetrators, including a suspected syndicate leader and a middleman.
Authorities seized 46 passports from various countries, including Malaysia (6), China (22), Bangladesh (7), and several others.
Other confiscated items included forged documents, 66 folders of Immigration and National Registration Department records, computers, printers, and over RM3,000 in cash. Two vehicles were also seized.
The syndicate allegedly targeted elderly Malaysian men, arranging for them to act as 'husbands' in fake marriages with foreign nationals, in exchange for payment.
These fraudulent marriages were then used to facilitate long-term visa applications under immigration categories such as 'spouse of citizen' and 'family reunion.'
Victims were recruited from Klang Valley and nearby areas. Foreign clients paid syndicate members between RM50 and RM500 per session, with operations believed to have run for over a year.
All five suspects are being investigated under Section 12(1)(f) of the Passport Act 1966 and have been brought to the Putrajaya Immigration Office for further action.
The statement was issued by Immigration Director-General Dato' Zakaria Shaaban via Facebook. He said the Immigration Department will continue to enhance enforcement efforts to curb any activities that breach national laws and threaten public security.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
1,005 employers detained for migrant offences this year
KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department has detained 1,005 employers for allegedly hiring or harbouring undocumented migrants between Jan 1 and July 3 this year. Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban ( pic ) said the arrests involved employers from various sectors, including restaurants, factories and retail shops, with most of them being locals found sheltering foreign nationals without valid documents. 'As of July, we've achieved 70% of our Key Performance Indicator (KPI) and I'm confident we'll exceed our target by year-end,' he told reporters at the IMI KL Run and Customer Engagement Day held here yesterday, Bernama reported. Also present was Kuala Lumpur Immigration director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff. During the same period, the department conducted 6,913 nationwide operations, screening 97,322 foreign nationals and arresting 26,320 individuals for suspected immigration offences. Zakaria said enforcement would continue to be intensified, with no compromise on undocumented migrants. Over 200 hotspots are being monitored. He added that public outreach events like the IMI KL Run programme, which drew over 800 participants, would be continued to strengthen public engagement. The programme had two categories, namely five kilometres and 10km, around the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Office.
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Fatal twist in petrol station robbery attempt
JOHOR BARU: An armed robbery attempt at a petrol station in Iskandar Puteri has taken a deadly turn, with one man dead. The incident unfolded around 12.10am on Thursday, when four masked men, each armed with parang, attempted to ambush a vehicle parked at the petrol station near the Second Link Expressway. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the brazen attack, which has gone viral on social media, showed the men smashing the windows of a parked car. In response, one of the car's passengers fired several gunshots, forcing the attackers to flee. Three suspects ran back to their getaway vehicle, while the fourth escaped on foot. The body of a man, with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen, was found an hour later at Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HSA). Johor police chief Comm Datuk M. Kumar confirmed the discovery of the body at HSA. 'At approximately 1.40am, hospital staffers alerted police to the presence of the body with multiple gunshot wounds. 'CCTV footage showed two men leaving the body at the hospital entrance in a dark-coloured vehicle before driving off,' he said in a statement here on Friday night. Comm Kumar added the deceased was later identified as a 42-year-old Malaysian from Sungai Petani, Kedah, with four prior criminal records. He also said that a post-mortem confirmed he died from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen. When asked if the victim was one of the attackers in the attempted robbery, Comm Kumar said police were still investigating the matter. He added following initial investigations, police arrested three men in Dang Wangi, Kuala Lumpur, around 7pm on the same day. 'The suspects, two Malaysians and one Indian national, aged between 30 and 40, were nabbed by a joint team from the Johor police headquarters and Iskandar Puteri district police,' he said. Comm Kumar added police also made several seizures during the arrest including a component of a Glock 19 pistol, a licensed firearm permit and six rounds of 9mm bullets, bullet casings and a black car believed to have been used in the incident. 'One of the suspects works as a licensed personal bodyguard, and preliminary checks show he has a firearm licence. 'However, police are investigating whether the weapon was used according to legal protocols,' he said, adding that the suspects were being remanded for seven days until July 10 to assist in the investigations. Comm Kumar said the police were investigating the incident under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, Section 148 of the same Act for rioting with weapons and Section 39 of the Arms Act for discharging a firearm outside a licensed shooting range. He added further investigations are ongoing to establish the connection between the deceased and the suspects, as well as to trace other individuals involved in the attack. Comm Kumar urged the public to refrain from speculating or sharing misinformation about the case on social media. 'This is an isolated incident. There is no broader threat to public safety, and Johor remains secure,' he said. Comm Kumar urged those with information related to the case to contact the Johor police hotline at 019-2792095 or the operations room at 07-2212999.
Malaysiakini
2 hours ago
- Malaysiakini
Immigration busts syndicate forging marriage documents
The Immigration Department has arrested five local men suspected of involvement in a syndicate forging immigration and National Registration Department (NRD) documents targeting elderly citizens seeking to marry foreigners, during a special operation last Thursday. Immigration director-general Zakaria Shaaban said the group, believed to have operated for about a year, targeted elderly locals in the Klang Valley seeking to marry foreigners, charging fees ranging from RM50 to RM500 per application...
