PUTRAJAYA, Dec 9 — A Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA) officer was arrested in Johor Bahru as part of ongoing efforts to crack down on “flying passport” operations, authorities said.
According to the New Straits Times, the officer was found in possession of eight foreign passports — six Chinese, one Indonesian and one Vietnamese — in what is considered an unauthorised transfer or handling of multiple passports, a practice often used to skirt immigration rules or enable illegal entry.
MCBA director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the agency is determined to root out corrupt personnel and halt such illegal activities.
“I cannot comment extensively on why they do it, but what I can say is that we will not stop until these illegal activities, which threaten our country’s security, are ended,” he told the newspaper.
Shuhaily added that the agency is working closely with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and other authorities to take action against those involved.
The officer was arrested on Sunday at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) entry point.
The passports were allegedly concealed in a black bag on his motorcycle inside the compound.
MCBA Integrity Unit officers discovered the breach while monitoring the MyBorderPass counter at 11.30am, when the officer was also found violating an administrative directive requiring all mobile phones to be surrendered while on duty.
He admitted carrying two phones without handing them over.
The officer, believed to be from the Immigration Department, is being investigated under Section 12(1)(f) of the Passport Act 1966 for possessing passports issued to others without lawful authority.
