KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — A sophisticated syndicate that hacked the Malaysian Immigration System (MyIMMs) to fraudulently approve Temporary Employment Visit Passes (PLKS) has been neutralised in a joint crackdown by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Immigration Department.

The integrated operation, codenamed “Op Crack,” led to the arrest of 12 individuals yesterday, including a mix of corporate directors and government insiders.

In a statement, MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Abdul Halim Aman confirmed that the detainees include two company directors, three foreigners, four Immigration officers, two officials from the department’s Information Technology Division, and a policeman.

The suspects, all aged between their 30s and 40s, were apprehended between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. at the MACC headquarters and the Immigration Department office in Penang.

The syndicate’s modus operandi involved a daring exploitation of the system: they targeted unused PLKS quotas dating back to 2011 to issue work passes while completely bypassing the required government levies.

Initial investigations reveal the scale of the fraud is significant, with 1,306 fraudulent PLKS issued. This systemic breach resulted in an estimated loss of RM2.4 million to the government.

The breakthrough was the result of intensive intelligence sharing between the MACC and the Immigration Department’s respective intelligence divisions, with surveillance conducted across the Klang Valley and Penang since May. The operation was further bolstered by technical support from CyberSecurity Malaysia, Telekom Malaysia, and the MACC’s Forensics Technology Division.

As part of the ongoing probe, authorities carried out raids on company premises and Immigration Department offices in both Putrajaya and Penang.

The case is currently being investigated under Sections 16(a) and 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009. The suspects are expected to be brought before the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court today for remand proceedings.