Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki shows some of the seized items at the special press conference on Wednesday. (Photo by Low Yen Yeing/The Edge)

PUTRAJAYA (Sept 18): The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has arrested an immigration officer, touted to be the “focal person” of a “counter setting” syndicate that brings foreign workers into the country illegally, and will be charged in court early October.

MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the male officer on duty at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), who has served with the Immigration Department for about 20 years, was arrested on Sept 5 after he was believed to have gone into hiding as soon as investigations began about a month ago.

"He is the focal person that acts as the intermediary person to almost all of the immigration officers [involved in the syndicate] to carry out what he instructs," Azam told a press conference here on Wednesday.

"This is the officer who absconded during our previous operations," Azam added.

Besides the 'focal person' of the syndicate, Azam said that the MACC has also arrested a total of 60 individuals believed to be involved with the syndicate, 49 of which are immigration officers, one policeman, and 10 syndicate agents.

Four of the agents arrested will also be charged early next month, Azam added.

Meanwhile, other immigration officers who will not be charged — due to lack of evidence — will instead face disciplinary action by the Immigration Department to ensure such abuses do not happen again in the future.

When asked if there were any senior officers involved, Azam said that the MACC's investigation into the syndicate is still ongoing. "We are still investigating; I cannot give a precise answer yet. [MACC] will not take into account if the person involved is a senior officer [or junior officer]. Statements are being collected."

Besides the arrests, a total of RM1.49 million, cash, including US$9,900 and THB5,470, was seized as part of the commission's operations. Other seized items include nine cars, 13 motorcycles, 27 gold dinars weighing 575.75 grams with an estimated value of over RM200,000, over 12 luxury watches, as well as over 30 smartphones and laptops.

On top of that, 215 bank accounts have been frozen as part of the operations, with a total value involving RM3.6 million. This included 16 company accounts and 84 individual accounts, 50 of which belong to immigration officers.

Azam explained that the “counter setting” syndicate operates by promoting packages for entry into Malaysia through social media platforms, such as Facebook and Telegram.

The agents would contact immigration officers via WhatsApp to arrange suitable entry dates for groups of foreigners visiting Malaysia as tourists. Once a date has been agreed upon, approval would be given by an immigration officer.

“The agent or syndicate would then send the immigration officer the passport details and photos of the arriving foreigners via WhatsApp. The officer would provide the group with the number of a ‘special counter’ to proceed to, for smooth entry into Malaysia,” Azam said.

He added that the bribes paid to the immigration officers involved ranged between RM200 and RM2,500 per worker, the rate of which is determined by the country of origin of the foreign workers.