KUCHING: A total of 19 Indonesian nationals have been arrested in an escape attempt at Kuching International Airport (KIA) earlier Thursday morning, said a press statement from the Immigration Department yesterday.
In the early morning incident, at about 9.15am, the Air Asia staff in the departure Gate 4 had informed the immigration authorities about their doubt about the boarding passes of 19 Indonesians who were about to board on AK 5203 to Kuala Lumpur.
Officer on duty Frankie Edwin referred the matter to the group head in-charge, Deputy Assistant Immigration Director (TPPI) Muhammad Shairazi bin Nawawee, for further action.
Shairazi then directed Frankie Edwin together with some officers to the Gate 4 to monitor the situation. Upon examination, the endorsement in all boarding passes and their travel documents were found to be very doubtful of their genuineness.
All foreigners comprising seven women and 12 men who were Indonesian nationals were brought to the KIA Immigration office for further investigation.
According to Shairazi, the initial information obtained from one of the suspects, each of them paid 7.5 million rupiah (an equivalent of about RM2,500) to an agent, also an Indonesian citizen, to arrange all document processing believed to be masterminded by a local agent.
When contacted yesterday the Sarawak Immigration Director Ken Leben asserted that the Immigration Department was seriously concerned with the issue of security counterfeiting and fraud and would take firm action on any party involved in the syndicate.
The department will intensify enforcement and intelligence activities from time to time, he said.
“Corruption has insulted the integrity that is being established,” he stressed.
All suspects were ordered by TPPI Muhammad Shairazi bin Nawawee to be arrested and detained as well as sent to the Immigration Detainees Depot in Semuja, Serian for further investigation by the Immigration Kuching enforcement section.
