PETALING JAYA: A syndicate busted by the authorities recently for providing late birth certificates to parents of adopted children or children without citizenship, is believed to have sold these certificates between RM10,000 to RM50,000.
The syndicate hired an informant disguised as the baby’s next of kin to issue false birth documents at the National Registration Department (JPN) counter during the registration process.
According to Harian Metro, once the syndicate obtains the valid certificate, it will be sold in the black market, including to parents or guardians on the waitlist.
A source reportedly stated an agent will provide the completed birth certificate, handled by a law practitioner and doctor, before it is handed over to the informant for the registration process in JPN.
ALSO READ: Ops Outlander: Civil servant held for receiving bribes of up to RM15,000 for birth certificates
“Once the birth certificate is obtained, the applicant (informant) will hand it over to the syndicate agent to be resold on the black market or to parents who have been waiting and are willing to pay for the document.
“The price of the birth certificate is not fixed, but it is estimated to be sold for between RM10,000 and RM50,000 to those who wish to purchase it,” the source was quoted as saying.
Not only that, the native country of babies without citizenship involved is hard to determine as the informant is not made aware of the matter during the buying and selling process.
“The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is still investigating the involvement of agents and middlemen.
“So far, through Ops Outlander, only one government agency officer has been arrested for colluding with the syndicate in issuing the birth certificates,” the source was also quoted as saying.
The source added that eight individuals are still remanded through Ops Birth and Ops Outlander whereas two others have been released with bail after their remand order ended earlier.
“MACC has frozen 11 bank accounts worth RM100,000 and 30 documents were seized in Ops Outlander,” the source added.
Meanwhile, the MACC Intelligence Division director, Datuk Idris Zaharudin, confirmed the matter and stated that further investigations are ongoing.
