The Kedah Immigration Department arrested a Sri Lankan national for possessing a forged Malaysian passport at the Malaysia-Thailand border checkpoint in Bukit Kayu Hitam yesterday.
Its director, Mohd Ridzzuan Mohd Zain, said the 21-year-old foreigner was detained at the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex while attempting to cross into Thailand using a passport bearing the name ‘Raja Danny Denis’.
“The man was detained while trying to cross into Thailand by impersonating a Malaysian citizen. However, he was immediately detained after checks showed that his passport was invalid,” he said today.
Ridzzuan said the suspect is being investigated under the Immigration Act for entering and staying in the country without a valid travel document.
He acknowledged that the arrest has sparked concerns about the growing threat of international travel document forgery syndicates involved in scams, human trafficking, and cross-border crimes.
“The arrest was the result of strategic cooperation between the Kedah Immigration Department and our Thai counterparts. We will conduct a full investigation to uncover the syndicate behind this forged passport,” he said.
Source: New Straits Times
--Agencies
