Kuala lumpur: The Immigration Department detained a man for allegedly acting as a 'carrier' to bring foreigners into the country illegally through Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 2 yesterday. Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the man was caught trying to bring in a male citizen of Saint Kitts and Nevis, along with a female national from China.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the arrest came after two weeks of intelligence gathering on activities believed to have been ongoing for the past three months. "The operation began at 6.40 pm and involved a team of officers of various ranks from the Intelligence and Special Operations Division of the Immigration Headquarters, in cooperation with the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS)," Zakaria said in a statement.

Zakaria said the suspect was believed to have taken the migrants to a specific immigration counter and provided instructions on how to bypass checks. "The 'carrier' instructed the migrants on the course to take to the 'pre-arranged' counter, along with sketches or images of its location," he said.

He noted that authorities suspect the involvement of Immigration inspection counter officers in the scheme. The officers were reportedly notified in advance of the migrants' arrival through WhatsApp, with the carrier providing photos of the migrants' clothing to help identify who should be allowed entry.

"The 'carrier' observed the movement of the migrants from a distance as they cleared Immigration procedures, before he (carrier) proceeded to another Immigration counter. The 'carrier' and the migrants would then reunite at the arrival hall exit and leave KLIA T2 together. The 'carrier' used only hand signals to communicate with the migrants to avoid detection," Zakaria explained.

Zakaria further noted that both foreign nationals brought in by the 'carrier' held valid Social Visit Passes. The 'carrier' and the two foreign nationals, aged 25 to 34, were detained on suspicion of offenses under Section 12(1)(f) and Section 56(1A)(a) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

The department confiscated a Chinese passport, a Saint Kitts and Nevis passport, a Malaysian passport, an immigration security stamp, mobile phones, and RM23,100 in cash. Zakaria added that three men and one woman, all Malaysians, were issued notices to appear and assist with the investigation.