Malaysia Uncovers Major Foreign Worker Fraud, Detains 20
Malaysia’s Immigration Department arrested 20 individuals. Eleven Bangladeshi citizens were among them. They are suspected of a large foreign worker quota fraud scheme. Malaymail, a Malaysian online news platform, first reported this.
Immigration officials conducted a raid last Thursday. The operation took place in Taman Datuk Ahmad Razali. The arrested individuals are aged between 23 and 47. Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, Director-General of Malaysia’s Immigration Department, confirmed these arrests.
The joint operation began at 7:30 AM. It involved the Immigration Department and the Inland Revenue Board. Public information and intelligence led to the raid.
Among those held were two Bangladeshi men. These men are thought to be the business owner and manager. Six local female employees were also arrested. Nine Bangladeshi men and three Indonesian women were also customers.
Authorities seized many passports. This included 265 Bangladeshi, 63 Indonesian, 12 Pakistani, and one Indian passport. Officers also took RM6,700 in cash. This money is believed to be customer payments.
The group used an ‘A-to-B’ method. One company, Employer A, got permits for workers. The workers came to Malaysia. But they were then sent to a different company, Employer B. The group earned money from this.
The syndicate also gave false company details. This helped them get worker quotas. Workers brought in did not work for the companies that requested them. They worked for other businesses or independently.
The scheme generated large profits. They made RM3,800 to RM5,000 for each worker. Companies declared low earnings to avoid taxes. They also failed to provide income records from 2020 to 2023.
Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the Immigration Department will act strongly. They will fight against all illegal activities. This includes those who plan, operate, and profit from misusing foreign worker quotas.
