Immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud said the 58-year-old suspect, believed to be the mastermind of the syndicate, was arrested in a special operation at his business premises along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman here.

“Checks found that the man has been living in Malaysia for more than 30 years using a social visit pass and is married to a local woman,” he said in a statement today.

He said the man was handing over forged documents to customers outside the premises when the immigration team conducted the raid.

Following further investigations, another raid was conducted on an apartment in Bandar Baru Ampang, which was used as a place to store and falsify the documents.

Eight international passports from various countries, 29 temporary employment visit pass (PLKS) stickers, Malaysian immigration department stamps, all believed to be forged, a laptop and a printer, as well as 24 pieces of international driving licences and RM4,000 in cash were among the items seized in the raids, Khairul said.

He added that the syndicate was believed to have targeted foreigners, especially Iranians looking for documents to remain in Malaysia.

The syndicate charged RM300 to RM500 for each PLKS pass. The money had to be deposited online into a third-party account.

The syndicate was believed to have been operating for almost two years behind a business selling bed sheets, based on the advertisements placed in front of the premises that was raided.

He said this was the first document forgery syndicate uncovered that involved an Iranian as the mastermind.

The suspect is being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Passport Act 1966.