KOTA KINABALU, Oct 5 — Sabah Immigration Department has crippled a document forgery syndicate and arrested five people in a raid at a squatter house in Batu 7, Jalan Labuk, Sandakan yesterday.

The raid was conducted by Sandakan and Lahad Datu Immigration following information received by the department during the previous Ops Serkap in Kampung Bangcarat, Tungku, Lahad Datu, which revealed the presence of the counterfeit syndicate in Sandakan.

The state department in a statement here today said the five individuals arrested in the Ops Serkap between 4 am and 5.30 am were Filipinos including a woman, aged from 14 to 52.

"Two of the individuals hold a permanent residence identity card, one has a birth certificate and another without any documents.

"Initial investigations show the  syndicate operating in Sandakan charges up to RM1,500 for a set of application documents,” said the statement.

Among the suspected false documents seized during the raid at the squatter house were 15 copies of IMM13 documents, 14 pieces of entry permits, seven pieces of entry permit payment receipts and two copies of the refugee status confirmation letter from the Sandakan Federal Special Task Force.

Also confiscated were four copies of entry permit approval letter, six pieces of account form, eight copies of expired IMM13 document, 12 pieces of identity card approval letters from the Sabah National Registration Department, 24 entry permit payment receipts from the NRD, three MyKads  (believed fake) and 70 passport sized photographs. — Bernama