KANGAR – The Immigration Department detained a Rohingya couple for forging documents for refugees while under the pretext of running a madrasah in a raid at Kg Permatang Pauh, Simpang Empat yesterday.
Perlis Immigration director Khairul Amin Talib said the enforcement team arrested the couple, aged 24 and 30 respectively, and also teachers and marriage officials, in a raid at 10am on September 21.
“Of the seven houses inspected, a house rented by the suspects was turned into an operation centre for forging documents for the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR),” he told reporters here today.
He said police also seized 200 UNHCR consideration letters, 100 marriage certificates believed to be fake in digital form, two computers, two mobile phones, one USB drive, two SD cards and two sets of business cards.
“Two payment books and RM5,300 cash hidden under the suspects’ mattress were also seized,” he added.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects find their customers through social media platforms and send the fake documents in digital form for a fee of RM50 per document.
“The customers have to print out the document themselves,” he said.
Khairul Amin said the couple has been detained for 14 days from yesterday to facilitate investigations under the Immigration Act 1959/63. – September 22, 2023