The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has arrested 12 individuals, including six Immigration Department officers and a police officer, for their alleged role in a syndicate that hacked the immigration system to fraudulently issue work passes.
The syndicate breached the Malaysian Immigration System (MyIMMs) to illegally approve Temporary Employment Visit Pass (PLKS) applications, The Star reported. MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman said the suspects comprised two company directors, three foreign nationals, four Immigration officers, two officers from the department’s IT Division, and a police officer.
Preliminary investigations found the syndicate exploited unused PLKS quotas dating back to 2011 to bypass official levies. A total of 1,306 fraudulent passes were issued, causing an estimated RM2.4 million in losses to the government, FMT reported.
The operation, codenamed Ops Crack, was carried out on Tuesday (28 July) between 2pm and 5pm at the MACC headquarters and the Penang Immigration Department. The 12 suspects, aged between their 30s and 40s, were arrested during the joint operation between the MACC Intelligence Division and the Immigration Department.
MACC officers raided company premises and Immigration offices in Penang and Putrajaya as part of the investigation. The case is being probed under Sections 17(a) and 16(a) of the MACC Act 2009.
During the operation, investigators seized RM186,360 in cash, S$700, and jewellery worth RM15,700. Mobile phones, laptops, and other electronic devices estimated at RM36,000 were also confiscated.
Magistrate Ezrene Zakariah granted a three-day remand until 31 July for five male suspects, while another five men and two women were remanded for two days until 30 July.
The crackdown followed joint intelligence gathering by the MACC Intelligence Division and the Immigration Department since May, targeting syndicate activities across the Klang Valley and Penang. The operation was assisted by CyberSecurity Malaysia, Telekom Malaysia, the National Cyber Security Agency, and the MACC Technology Forensic Division.
