In a statement, immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud said the officers at the arrival counters would give entry stamps to the undocumented migrants without entering their data into the department’s system.

“The agents arranged the undocumented migrants’ entry with the cooperation of the immigration officers at the arrival counters, who were colluding with them by giving entry stamps (on the migrants’ passports),” he said.

“The immigration officers would be paid between RM1,000 and RM2,000 for each undocumented migrant, who would then be brought by the agent to a destination where they would work illegally.”

The undocumented migrants had been blacklisted for previous offences committed in Malaysia.

Khairul said the two officers had been remanded for seven days and would be investigated under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act.

He added that two undocumented migrants and their agent were also arrested.