JOHOR BAHRU | A young Bangladeshi has been making profits by selling a fake work permit renewal to foreign workers in Malaysia.
The 26-year-old even set up a company that provided services on immigration matters which he registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) to make his operations look more legitimate.
The Immigration Department arrested him and two of his workers in Tampoi around 1.55 p.m. during Ops Serkap on December 19.
According to Johor Immigration Director Baharuddin Tahir, when being detained during the operation, the suspect claimed to be the chairman of a private company here.
“We believe the suspect has been running a fake work permit renewal syndicate, where he has been making money off foreign workers since early this year.
The company had been registered with SSM last May to make its modus operandi look legal among foreign workers.
“His main target is foreign workers who have issues renewing their work permits and the Workforce Recalibration Program (RTK 2.0) work permit application,” he added.
Baharuddin added that the syndicate modus operandi was to find and collect passports from house to house of their targeted group, where they would charge a fee of RM6,500 per applicant under the RTK 2.0 program.
He also said besides the arrests, the department also seized three Bangladesh passports, two Indonesia passports, a laptop computer, and cash amounting to RM2,058.
“The department also seized a black luxury vehicle, which we have reason to believe is owned by the main suspect,” he added.
The suspects will be investigated under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, Section 12(1)(f) of Passport Act 166 (Act 150), Section 55E of the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155) and Section 56(1A)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Source: Mohd Farhaan Shah. (2023, Dec 20). Immigration nabs Bangladesh national over fake work permit renewal syndicate. The Star. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/12/20/immigration-nabs-bangladesh-national-over-fake-work-permit-renewal-syndicate#:~:text=Johor%20Immigration%20director%20Baharuddin%20Tahir,since%20early%20this%20year%20here.
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