Stern action for officers involved in migrant smuggling activity - Immigration DG

The Immigration Department (JIM) will not protect any its officers and compromise if any them are found working with skippers or middleman linked to migrant smuggling syndicates.

Immigration Department director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud said officers and personnel involved would face stern action if found involved in such illegal activity.

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

He was asked to comment 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 co-operation to the police and expressed confidence that the investigation would be done fairly and professionally.

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

“As a department responsible in 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,” he said.

Yesterday, police detained a senior officer and two immigration personnel aged 30 to 48 years old suspected being involved in a migrant smuggling syndicate at the Pasir Gudang ferry terminal Johor recently.

Johor police chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay was reported as saying that the syndicate was believed to be providing fake inbound and outbound stamp services for migrants who were using social visit passes that had expired before the Movement Control Order came into force.

-- BERNAMA