JOHOR BAHRU, Feb 3 — The Johor Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) arrested a local man believed to be an agent for a “flying passport” syndicate in an operation codenamed Ops Serkap at a condominium in Taman Daya here on January 29.

Its director, Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said the operation at 6.50pm was carried out based on intelligence gathered by the Enforcement Division over nearly two weeks.

He said his team also seized nine foreign passports used as travel documents for entering and exiting the country.

“It is believed the passports were used to obtain security stamps irregularly (illegally),” he said in a statement.

He said the man, aged 44, was arrested under the Passport Act 1966 (Act 150) for further investigation.

Mohd Rusdi said his department takes any form of passport misuse seriously and will not compromise with any individual involved in activities that could threaten national sovereignty.

The public is advised not to hand over their passports to any party and to report any information regarding such activities immediately to JIM. — Bernama