IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT DETECTS FALSE DOCUMENTS SYNDICATE

BUTTERWORTH (Malaysia), Sept 13 (Bernama) -- Four Myanmars were arrested in an Immigration Department raid on a shophouse in the federal capital that was used as a distribution centre for fake documents including passports and foreign worker identification (ID) cards.

In the 1pm raid Friday in Jalan Silang, the department's enforcement
division seized 12 Myanmar passports, six of which were fake, three MyKads and
30 fake foreign worker ID cards.

Also seized were seven fake United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) cards, 17 UNHCR holograms, several Myanmar High Commission receipts as
well as several rubber stamps to make the documents.

Immigration Department director of enforcement, Ishak Mohamed, said initial
investigations said the centre was operating for the last six months.
"The four detained aged between 20-30 years were agents for a syndicate and
had amassed about RM20,000 in the six months," he said at a news conference here
Friday.

Meanwhile, the department detained 49 foreigners aged between 20-40 years
in an operation at a sawmill at Simpang Ampat, Tasek in Seberang Perai Selatan
about 12 noon.

They comprised 26 Bangladeshis, Nepalis (nine), Indians (four), Vietnamese
(five, including two women), Myanmars (three) and Indonesians (two).

Ishak said 140 foreign workers were checked in northern states that saw
personnel from Penang, Kedah, Perlis, Perak, Putrajaya and Rela take
part.

He said from January to June this year 28,000 illegals immigrants had been
detained and most offences committed were entering the country without
documents, overstaying, misuse of work permits and having fake
documents.

"We estimate there are close to one million foreigners in the country
without travel documents. 2.5 milllion are here legally and of that number 80
per cent are from neighbouring countries like Indonesia, Thailand and the
Philippines.