Syndicate supplying forged passports to bypass health screenings smashed

 Immigration deputy DG says 200 to 300 forged documents had been sold during the past six months.

Immigration deputy director-general (operations) Lokman Effendi Ramli said the syndicate offered its services to Bangladeshi nationals who needed to undergo Fomema health screenings but were found to be unfit, or had failed previous checks. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 The immigration department has busted a syndicate specialising in forging and modifying passports to bypass the Foreign Workers Medical Examination Monitoring Agency’s (Fomema) requirements.

Immigration deputy director-general (operations) Lokman Effendi Ramli said a Bangladeshi student was arrested during a special operation conducted at two locations in Sentul yesterday.

The operation followed a month of surveillance and tip-offs, he said, adding that initial checks showed that the 27-year-old suspect held a valid student pass.

“The syndicate offered its services to Bangladeshi nationals in the Klang Valley who needed to undergo Fomema health screenings but were found to be unfit, or had failed previous checks.

“The passports were altered or modified as needed to ensure they could be used during the medical screening process,” Bernama reported him as saying.

Lokman said the syndicate delivered the forged passports to its clients through runners, with payments made via online transfers.

He said the syndicate had been operating for about six months, with an estimated monthly output of 200 to 300 forged passports.

The department seized 22 suspected forged Bangladeshi passports, access cards, a computer, a printer, a cutting machine, a laser engraving machine and a curve cutter.

It also seized a Benelli Leoncino motorcycle.

He said a Malaysian man was also issued a notice to appear at the immigration department’s office to assist in the investigation. - FMT