KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia's Immigration Department has dismantled a syndicate believed to have supplied undocumented migrant workers to employers after arresting eight Myanmar nationals during a special operation in Bandar Mahkota Cheras, Selangor.
In a Facebook post on August 3, the department said the syndicate allegedly charged between RM8,000 and RM10,000 for each worker and is believed to have been operating since early this year.
According to investigators, the group offered services to obtain Temporary Employment Visit Passes (PLKS) that were allegedly issued illegally through a compromised foreign worker management system.
The syndicate is believed to have targeted Myanmar nationals in the Klang Valley who had overstayed or lacked valid immigration documents before supplying them to employers seeking workers.
The arrests followed a joint operation with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on July 28, which led authorities to a residential property where a Myanmar woman suspected of acting as an illegal recruitment agent was detained.
Also arrested were a Myanmar man and six Myanmar women who were believed to have been waiting to be placed with employers.
Initial investigations found that the woman was linked to a Myanmar national believed to be the mastermind of the operation, who had earlier been detained by the MACC during the joint enforcement action.
Immigration checks showed the woman possessed a valid PLKS for the services sector, while four of the detained women had overstayed their permits. One man and two women were also found without valid passes or travel documents.
Authorities seized 16 Myanmar passports, copies of suspected forged PLKS documents and other records believed to be linked to the illegal supply of foreign workers. A Toyota Yaris suspected of being used in the operation was also confiscated.
The case is being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Passport Act 1966.
The Immigration Department said investigations are continuing to identify other members of the syndicate and dismantle its wider network, adding that firm action will be taken against those involved in illegal migrant worker recruitment activities.
