The Immigration Department said he was the mastermind behind a fake documents syndicate back in 2017 but had managed to escape during a raid then.

However, he resurfaced in March last year, continuing with a similar syndicate, which had forged Temporary Employment Visit Pass (PLKS) and passports, among others.

Immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud said after months of surveillance, the department decided to act on it yesterday.

Khairul said the operation was carried out by officers from the Intelligence, Special Operations and Analysis Division.

Among the items confiscated were 62 forged passports, fake work permits, RM8,300 in cash as well as machinery and equipment for falsifying documents.

“Another Bangladeshi man who was at the scene during the raid was also arrested,” he told reporters at a press conference today.

He said on average the syndicate received 150 customers daily and charged RM300 for each PLKS and RM150 for each passport.

The suspects, he said, were screened for Covid-19 before being taken to a detention depot for further action.