PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department has crippled a human trafficking and false travel documents producing syndicate in the Klang Valley.
Its director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said a 50-year old Bangladeshi mastermind along with 25 people were arrested in a special operation yesterday.
He said two months of surveillance and intelligence by the department's operation, investigation and prosecution division and its Special Tactical Team (PASTAK) led to the arrest of the suspect and crippling of the syndicate which was believed to have been in operation since the past two years.
"The mastermind who entered the country on a social visit pass in 2005, had used several other international passports to enter and leave the country.
"He started getting active in his syndicate in the last two years when he started printing false documents including various fake international passports and selling stolen genuine passports,” he said.
Mustafar said an enforcement team raided two apartments which the suspect had been renting for his family and himself in Seri Petaling.
“The suspect was arrested in one of the units where he was operating his business from," he told at a press conference today.
Mustafar believed the syndicate had raked in millions of ringgit based on the items seized.
Among the items seized during the raid were 136 passports of various countries, 87 visa stickers, 15 international immigration seals, several computers, laminating machines and two vehicles.
Other suspects detained included the ring leader’s runners from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, Philippines and a local man.