JOHOR BARU: Johor Immigration has detained a Pakistani with two Malaysian wives identified as the mastermind behind a foreign worker trafficking syndicate.
Johor Immigration Department director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said its enforcement officers raided an office in Bandar Baru Permas Jaya here, on Thursday (July 4).
The raid came after a six-month surveillance of the second-storey office block at Parmis Mall, which was initiated after a tip-off on the mushrooming presence of foreigners.
Three Pakistani aged between 28 and 50, including the 28-year-old mastermind, were detained during the 2pm raid codenamed Op Sita.
The sole-proprietor company was registered under the mastermind's second wife, but he allegedly had full control of its operations.
It is learnt that his wife's company was not an employment agency, and she was working elsewhere.
Rusdi said upon interrogation the two men claimed they paid RM7,000 each to obtain temporary employment visit passes, while one of them claimed that the 28-year-old was their "boss".
The visit pass (temporary employment) is issued to skilled and unskilled foreign workers in Malaysia.
Semi-skilled and unskilled workers are only permitted to work in the plantation, manufacturing and domestic helper sectors.
It is mandatory for private employment agencies to get a category C licence via the Human Resources ministry to represent foreign workers in applying for such visit passes.
Rusdi said the company was operating without the category C licence.
He said the raiding party seized 35 Pakistan-issued passports, two Indian one, and a passport each issued by the Bangladeshi, Indonesian and Myanmar authorities, from the premises.
Also seized were files containing salary slip payments, job offers, manpower supply agreements, passport copies, and temporary employment visit passes.
Rushid said the 28-year-old Pakistani was detained under Section 12(1)(f) of the Passport Act 1966 (Act 150) for unauthorised possession of passports or travel documents, and Section 6(1)(c) for not possessing valid travel documents or permits to remain in the country.
The other two Pakistani have been detained under Section 56(1A)(c) of the Immigration Act for conspiracy.