Citing a source, Harian Metro reported that these birth certificates were then sold to parents with adopted children or children who do not possess Malaysian citizenship.

The syndicate would hire people to pose as relatives of the babies to submit birth certificate applications at the national registration department (JPN), after which these birth certificates would be sold on the black market.

“As soon as the birth certificate is obtained, the applicant will hand it over to the syndicate’s agent to be resold on the black market or to parents who are already waiting and willing to pay for the document,” the source said.

“The price of the birth certificate is not fixed, but it is estimated to range from RM10,000 to RM50,000.”

On March 11, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) arrested 16 people during raids at several premises, including clinics and law firms in the Klang Valley and Johor, for their suspected links to the syndicate.

The detainees include a civil servant, a medical practitioner with a Datuk Seri title, a legal practitioner, several agents, and birth registration applicants.

They are suspected of being involved in corruption, which includes the preparation and submission of false birth confirmation documents from 2013 to 2018 and 2023 to 2025.

MACC has frozen 11 bank accounts, totalling RM100,000, and seized 30 documents related to the ongoing investigation into the syndicate.

MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki was reported to have said his men will also analyse JPN’s processes following the arrests.