EXCLUSIVE | The "counter-setting" syndicate appears to still be actively arranging to bring in foreigners through the border in Johor before they leave the country via the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
This comes despite the Home Ministry's admission that authorities find it difficult to prove whether the syndicate - which arranges for the unlawful clearance of individuals through immigration counters without proper procedures, particularly undocumented migrants in Malaysia - remains in operation at KLIA.
However, based on police reports viewed by Malaysiakini - dated July 15 and 17 - at least four foreigners from China, Pakistan, and India were detained at KLIA for possessing travel documents with suspicious entry stamps from the border checkpoint in Johor.
A police report made at KLIA Terminal 1 on July 15 alleged that a Chinese national had a physical entry stamp in her passport, but a check of the MyImms system showed that the woman's entry record through the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) Complex in Johor was irregular.
Less than an hour later, at KLIA Terminal 2, an Indian national scheduled to depart for Kolkata was found to have overstayed beyond the period specified in his social visit pass.
The pass was issued on Nov 22 last year and was valid for only 30 days.
In a written reply to Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng last week, the Home Ministry had said the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA) remains committed to fighting corruption and strengthening border control.
The ministry acknowledged that authorities face difficulties in gathering evidence to confirm if the syndicate is still operating at KLIA.
The ministry also said that various strict measures are being taken, including periodic officer rotations, surprise inspections, the use of body cameras, artificial intelligence-powered CCTV monitoring, and the expansion of autogates to reduce human intervention.
Unique serial numbers
In the July 15 case, the Indian national was arrested under Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and sent to the KLIA2 Immigration Depot.
The next arrest took place at 5.30pm on the same day at KLIA Terminal 1, where a Pakistani man was detained with a suspicious 30-day social visit pass from BSI in Johor.
The document is believed to have been obtained illegally.
At 9.30pm, at Terminal 2, an immigration officer lodged a police report alleging that a woman from India had been detained while attempting to depart for Singapore.
Checks revealed that the individual held a social visit pass endorsement from BSI dated July 5, which was believed to have been obtained without following proper regulations.
On July 17, two police reports were made against three Indian nationals who attempted to depart from Malaysia with suspicious documents.
All six police reports made over the two days linked the foreigners to stamps from BSI.
Every official immigration stamp carries a unique serial number, enabling authorities to identify the specific officer assigned to it.
‘Flying stamps’ genuine
An internal source from the Immigration Department in Putrajaya told Malaysiakini that arrests are made almost every week involving "flying stamps" from BSI.
However, the source said the individuals involved could not be prosecuted in court because the stamps were indeed genuine.
"In the worst-case scenario, they are only remanded for 14 days for investigation," the source said.
Another source from Johor said the masterminds behind the operation are not worried about foreigners being detained at KLIA because official stamp suppliers for the Immigration Department at the state level are not being aggressively monitored or arrested.
The source also claimed that security controls at KLIA can still be bypassed undetected using specific methods.
"Most of the arrests at KLIA are not due to the effectiveness of the monitoring system, but rather technical errors involving the foreigners or them being cheated by agents.
"Another possibility is that they are detected by the airline's special task force at the last minute at the departure gate," the source said.
Identifying criminal elements
When contacted, KLIA district police chief M Ravi confirmed that the police had received the reports regarding the arrests of the foreigners.
He said that MCBA is conducting a detailed investigation into the cases to identify any cross-border criminal elements and issues of abuse of power.
Malaysiakini has contacted the border agency as well as the Home Ministry for comment regarding the disclosure of the documents. - Mkini
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