Fly Syndicate Cartel Uses New Mo To Evade Detection

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EXCLUSIVE | A fraud syndicate involved in "laundering" the status of foreigners who have overstayed in Malaysia is believed to be using a new and more organised method to evade detection by the authorities.
ADSA Malaysiakini investigation found that officers from the Immigration Department involved with the syndicate - better known among agents as the “U-turn” syndicate - now only need to be given the passport details of the participating foreigners.
According to an agent who requested anonymity, the information is written on a piece of paper and handed over to a lower-ranking immigration officer acting as a "runner".
The runner then allegedly passes the information to an immigration officer stationed at the immigration counter, such as at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
“The officer will key in the passport details into the system as though the foreign national has passed through immigration. The fee charged is around RM1,500 per person.
“Then, the agent holding the foreigner’s passport will stamp the document using a fake stamp that can easily be found in several foreign-owned restaurants around Jalan Ipoh and Chow Kit (in Kuala Lumpur), for a fee of RM50,” the agent said.
Explaining the operation to Malaysiakini, the agent said that under this new modus operandi, passport holders who have overstayed in Malaysia can still escape action if caught in an enforcement check.
This is because the passport details have already been entered into the Immigration Department’s system, which will display the individual's status as being present in the country through legal means, he explained.
Fraudulent activity
For the record, the syndicate - known as “Fly” - is a fraudulent activity of stamping the exit and entry of foreigners without requiring the physical presence of the individual involved.
This allows a foreigner to freely continue their stay in the country even after their permit has expired. They also avoid being blacklisted by the authorities.
Previously, the operation was managed by agents who would wait at a prearranged location to meet immigration officers before getting the foreigner’s passport stamped.
In return, money would change hands for the service.
ADSHowever, after tighter monitoring and several arrests, their modus operandi changed as it became more difficult for complicit officers to remove the official stamp.
The serial numbers on the stamps also made internal investigations easier and allowed for the identification of the culprits.
Now, the agent said, the syndicate uses the services of runners.
“The runner will hand over the collected passports to the immigration officer on duty at the immigration counter, enabling the system to show that the foreigner has supposedly left the country before re-entering, or still has a valid stay duration,” he said.
Harder to detect
A source from the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency said the new method is believed to be more organised and harder to detect.
“Officers simply write the passport details on a small piece of paper and keep it in their pocket.
“At the counter, they hide the paper in their hand so it can’t be seen by those monitoring (the area),” the source said.
Malaysiakini understands that a report has been lodged against the officers for internal investigation.
Malaysiakini has contacted the Border Control and Protection Agency for comment on the syndicate. - Mkini

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