ALOR STAR: Kedah Immigration Department arrested a Sri Lanka national for possession of a forged Malaysian passport bearing the name of "Raja Danny Denis" at the Malaysia-Thailand border checkpoint in Bukit Kayu Hitam yesterday.
Its director Mohd Ridzzuan Mohd Zain said the 21-year-old foreigner was detained at the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security Complex while attempting to cross over to Thailand.
"The man was detained while trying to cross over to Thailand by impersonating a Malaysian citizen.
"However, he was immediately detained after checks showed that his passport was invalid," he said today.
Ridzzuan said the suspect is being investigated under the Immigration Act for entering and staying in this country without a valid travel document.
He acknowledged that the arrest has sparked concerns about the growing threat of international travel documents forgery syndicate activity to pull scams, human trafficking and cross-border crimes.
"The arrest was the result of strategic cooperation between Kedah Immigration Department and our Thai counterparts.
"We will carry out a full investigation to uncover the syndicate behind this forged passport," he said.