TAWAU: Ten individuals, including six Immigration Department officers detained to assist into investigations of a syndicate smuggling illegal immigrants, were released on bail by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Thursday.
Magistrate Dzul Elmy Yunus allowed the application submitted by the MACC since there was no application for extension of remand.
The application under Section 49 (2) of the MACC Act was submitted by MACC investigating officer Wan Muhammad Iqmal Wan Ishaq since the investigation by the MACC headquarters has been completed.
The bail for each individual would be decided by the MACC office, while the investigations would continue.
Five officers, consisting of three women and two men, aged 30 to 41, who were on duty at the Tawau Airport were remanded from March 24 until 30 this year.
Also remanded were four civilians aged between 30 and 55, believed to be agents of the syndicate.
Another follow-up arrest involved a male Immigration officer in his 30s on duty at LTT who was arrested on March 27 and remanded until April 3, also released along with nine others.
They were previously remanded to complete the investigation in accordance with Section 16 (a) (A) of the MACC Act 2009.
All the suspects were arrested through Ops Lancar by the MACC and the National Registration Department (NRD).
They were suspected of accepting bribes for every illegal immigrant who used another individual’s identity cards to pass the inspection at the LTT.
Last Tuesday, three local citizens who were arrested in the Ops Lancar, were charged in the Tawau Magistrate’s Court for lending their identity cards to others.
They were Abdul Habil Mobin, 58 and Fatimah Hassan, 50, who were jailed for two months and fined RM2,500, while Durinah Suaib, 36, was jailed for 12 weeks.
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