Indonesian with 'flying passport' overstays 3 years, caught at KLIA2

New Straits Times

3 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR: An Indonesian man was detained at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 (KLIA T2) for allegedly attempting to leave the country using a "flying passport."
Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA) said the 33-year-old was intercepted at the departure hall around 6.30pm yesterday after immigration officers noticed suspicious security stamps in his passport during a routine inspection.
"Initial checks found that the man had legally entered Malaysia via Pasir Gudang, Johor, on July 18, 2022, and was recorded as having exited the country through KLIA on Aug 13, 2022.
"However, further inspection revealed multiple entry and exit stamps under his name between 2022 and 2025 that raised doubts over their authenticity," it said in a statement.
The MCBA said subsequent checks via the MyIMMs system found no official record of his movements during that time.
The man later admitted to investigators that he had not left Malaysia since 2022 and had paid RM4,000 to obtain the fake stamps.
MCBA said it would continue its investigation to identify the syndicate behind the so-called "flying passport" activity and take the necessary disciplinary and criminal action for travel document forgery or other immigration offences.
"Flying passport" refers to the situation where a foreign passport is cleared by immigration enforcement officers without the holder being present at the checkpoint.
Thus, they are able to obtain entry and exit stamps without ever leaving the country.
Typically, the modus operandi involves the passport being handed over to a third party — often for a fee — who physically transports it across the border to be stamped by immigration officers.