Immigration DG: Four arrested for labour recalibration programme fraud

 

Four men, three foreign and one local, were arrested for allegedly operating an illegal outsourcing syndicate that made about RM2 million from the government’s Labour Recalibration (RTK) Programme.

Immigration Department director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud (above) said the four, aged between 20 and 47, were detained with the intention to register migrants in the programme.

They were held at a tourism office in Kuala Lumpur on Friday (April 15). A total of 264 passports from countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, and India were seized.

He said the department also confiscated RM7,270 in cash believed to be part of the daily transaction proceeds from the syndicate.

"The syndicate was found to be carrying out activities similar to outsourcing companies which have been abolished by using some inactive (dormant) companies to obtain a quota of foreign workers under the RTK programme," he said in a statement yesterday.

According to him, the syndicate was operating from the tourism company used as a base for registration, collection of passports, and receipt of payments from foreigners duped to sign up for the programme.

Khairul Dzaimee said the services of successfully registered foreign workers would then be offered to an individual employer or a company for a fee.

"The syndicate is believed to charge between RM6,500 to RM8,000 per person (migrant worker) to obtain a Temporary Working Visit Pass for various sectors through the programme," he said.

He said based on the number of passports and operating period, the syndicate was believed to have raked a profit of RM2 million through charges imposed on foreign workers, companies, or individuals who became their customers.

Khairul Dzaimee also said the four detainees were taken to the Putrajaya Immigration Department for further investigation and action under the Immigration Act 1959/63, Passport Act 1966, and Immigration Regulations 1963.

- Bernama