THE Immigration Department will not protect any its officers if they are found to be working with skippers or middlemen linked to migrant-smuggling syndicates. 

Immigration Department director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud said officers and personnel involved in such illegal activities will face stern action.

“Immigration is always cooperating closely with the police and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in ensuring no officers and personnel are abusing their power,” he said today.

He was commenting on the arrest of three Immigration personnel in Johor suspected of being involved in the trafficking of migrants.

Khairul Dzaimee said the department will give its full cooperation to the police and expressed confidence that the investigation would be done fairly.

Meanwhile, he said the Immigration Department was always conducting courses, campaigns and programmes related to anti-corruption to ensure its personnel’s integrity is at the highest level.

“As the department responsible for guarding the country’s entry points and managing the entry of foreign nationals, each officer is advised never to abuse power allocated under the Immigration Act.” 

Yesterday, police detained a senior officer and two Immigration personnel aged between 30 and 48 years old suspected of involvement with a migrant-smuggling syndicate at the Pasir Gudang ferry terminal in Johor recently.

Johor police chief Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay reportedly said the syndicate is believed to be providing fake inbound and outbound stamp services for migrants using social visit passes that had expired before the movement control order came into force. – Bernama, June 25, 2020.