2 enforcement officers nabbed at Johor CIQ over 'flying passport' misconduct

Two enforcement officers were arrested at the Sultan Iskandar Building Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex last night for alleged involvement in a “flying passport” misconduct.

The practice typically refers to the misuse of passports, including clearing them illegally without the holders being physically present.

Border Control and Protection Agency CIQ commander Roszita Dim said the suspects, a 31-year-old officer and a 49-year-old supervisor, were detained at 9pm following surveillance by the agency’s Compliance Unit.

She said surveillance at 7.30pm detected several suspicious visitor data entries using the user identification (ID) of an officer manning the car zone counter.

“The unit also detected foreign visitor records classified as problematic, requiring error correction by the on-duty supervisor and clearance of these records using the supervisor’s user ID at the motorcycle zone,” she told a press conference at the CIQ today.

Further inspection at the car counter uncovered RM2,800 in cash and two mobile phones in the officer’s possession. Interrogation led to the discovery of 11 Chinese passports and three Indonesian passports hidden in a black bag above the ceiling of another counter.

Roszita said two additional mobile phones were also seized from the motorcycle zone supervisor’s counter.

Both suspects were handed over to the Johor MACC at about 10am today for further action. The case has also been reported to the agency’s Integrity Unit in Putrajaya.

“Our surveillance was carried out for about a week. Whether this misconduct involves a syndicate is still under investigation,” she added.

- Bernama

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