Busted immigration officers got up to RM3,500 per migrant, says report

 

Travellers going through the immigration checkpoint at KLIA.

PETALING JAYA: 

The KLIA immigration officers who allegedly helped a syndicate bring foreigners into the country reportedly received between RM500 and RM3,500 for each migrant they allowed in without going through proper inspections.

According to Harian Metro, a source in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said there was no fixed amount to the kickbacks the officers obtained.

The bribes were also not transferred to the bank accounts of the suspects, said the source, who believed they might have learned from the 

mistakes

 of others who were caught by the MACC in the past due to the money trail.

“For now, the MACC is still investigating where the suspects may have hidden the bribes or kickbacks they received.

There is a possibility that the detained suspects were using proxies to hide the illicit money they received from the syndicate. The MACC is still conducting investigations and is confident that more evidence can be uncovered,

 the source said.

Yesterday, MACC chief Azam Baki said the commission busted the syndicate following the arrest of 12 people, including three women, during operations held in the Klang Valley, Penang and Kelantan.

He said the 12 comprised four company owners, three members of the public and five enforcement officers posted at KLIA’s Terminal 2.

The syndicate was allegedly orchestrated by certain enforcement officers stationed at entry points who would allow groups of foreigners to bypass the standard inspection process.

Meanwhile, the MACC source said the anti-graft agency managed to dismantle the syndicate, thanks to several months of undercover work. - FMT