Johor MACC detains 5 in immigration bribery ring
Published on: Wednesday, March 06, 2024
By: FMT
.jpg "Johor MACC detains 5 in immigration bribery ring")
An MACC source says the officers were arrested after a periodic inspection of their phones revealed suspicious messages.
JOHOR BAHRU: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Johor has detained five people, including three immigration officers, on suspicion of soliciting and accepting bribes in exchange for facilitating the illegal entry of foreign nationals into the country.
According to an MACC source, the suspects comprise four men and a woman, aged 35 to 46.
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The three immigration officers work at Senai International Airport (LTAS), while the two civilians were detained between 5pm and 11pm yesterday, one at the Johor MACC office and the other in Larkin, here.
The source said periodic integrity compliance inspections by the Johor immigration department’s integrity unit at LTAS revealed several WhatsApp messages on the officers’ mobile phones indicating gratification.
“The text messages contained the offer and acceptance of bribes from foreigners seeking entry into Malaysia through the immigration officers without going through the proper process and procedures, in accordance with the standing instruction of the director-general of immigration No. 03 of 2019 and the Immigration Act 1956/63,” the source said today.
Johor MACC director Azmi Alias confirmed the arrest and said the case is being investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009 for giving or accepting gratification by agents.
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He said the suspects would appear before a Johor Bahru magistrate today, where MACC would apply for a remand order.
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