Malaysian Authorities Arrest Three Bangladeshis for Allegedly Forging Passports

Malaysia’s Immigration Officials Have Cracked Down on a Bangladeshi Travel Document Forgery Syndicate in Kuala Lumpur, Arresting Three Suspects, Including the Alleged Mastermind.

The raid took place Monday morning in the Jalan Jelawat area of the capital, carried out by officers from the department’s Intelligence and Special Operations Division after two weeks of surveillance, according to the New Straits Times.

“Those arrested include a 31-year-old man believed to be the syndicate’s mastermind and two accomplices aged between 25 and 30,” said Immigration Department Director General Datuk Zakaria Shaaban in a statement on Tuesday.

Preliminary checks revealed that one suspect held a Temporary Employment Visit Pass (PLKS) in the construction sector, another in the agriculture sector, while the third had a student pass.

“During the raid, officers seized 21 Bangladeshi passports, one suspected fake Myanmar passport, 21 forged biodata pages, four mobile phones, a computer set, and a paper-cutting knife,” he added.

The syndicate reportedly used the forged passports for Foreign Workers Medical Examination Monitoring Agency (Fomema) screenings, allowing foreign workers who were ineligible for medical tests to obtain certification. The perpetrators would input the client’s details and passport number into the fake documents but use a syndicate member’s photograph to appear for the examination.

“The operation was run out of a luxury residence to avoid detection. They charged between RM200 and RM350 per fake passport and medical screening and are believed to have been active for the past two months,” he said. This marks the third arrest this year involving syndicates using similar methods.

All three suspects are being investigated under Section 56(1)(l) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and have been taken to the Immigration headquarters in Putrajaya for further action.

In September, authorities arrested five Bangladeshi men linked to a similar syndicate forging documents for Fomema checks. These arrests took place in Jalan Jelawat and Jalan Razak Mansion in Kuala Lumpur. Two of the men were believed to be masterminds, while the others ranged in age from 19 to 41. Initial checks showed three of the detainees held PLKS passes for the construction sector, one had a student pass, and another lacked valid travel documents.