SHAH ALAM - The National Registration Department (NRD) detained 26 Indonesians today for using fake MyKads or identity cards belonging to others during Ops Pandan at two clothing company premises in Jalan U1/20, Glenmarie, here.
NRD Enforcement Division director Mazhad Abdul Aziz said the arrests involved 20 women and six men, aged 25 to 50, after checks on 134 individuals at an office and a warehouse.
"Of those checked, 108 were citizens, while 26 others, believed to be foreign nationals (Indonesians), were found in possession of fake identity cards for the purpose of working at the clothing company branches.
"All of them were taken to NRD Putrajaya for further investigation under Regulation 25(1)(e) of the National Registration Regulations 1990, which provides for a prison sentence of up to three years or a fine not exceeding RM20,000, or both, upon conviction," he told reporters after leading the raid here today.
Initial investigations found the clothing company paid workers a daily wage of about RM70, either in cash or by bank transfer.
Physical checks of the MyKads using Mobile Terminal Units (MTUs) and fingerprint verification showed no records for the holders, even though the cards appeared genuine.
"The use of MTU devices is highly effective and accurate, as it allows us to quickly detect invalid information through biometric matching.
"Some of them purchased these illegal documents, while others merely borrowed them from third parties. However, we will investigate further to identify the source of the document supply,” he said.
Mazhad said the NRD would conduct prosecutions in court, while follow-up actions regarding employers or expired passports would be handled by the Department of Labour (JTK) and the Immigration Department.
The operation began at 10.30 am and involved 59 enforcement personnel from NRD Putrajaya, Selangor, and Melaka, as well as JTK and the Immigration Department. - BERNAMA