PUTRAJAYA • The Malaysian authorities have busted a document and stamp forging syndicate allegedly masterminded by a Pakistani national.

The group was caught in a raid on Monday evening in Sri Gombak, a residential estate on the edge of Kuala Lumpur.

The alleged mastermind, nicknamed "Abang Bai", is 26 years old. His three siblings, including a 13-year-old, were detained to assist with the investigations.

Officials found he had several entry and exit stamps for the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex immigration checkpoint in Johor, as well as a Singapore security stamp.

He also had stamps bearing the name of senior officers in the Malaysian Immigration Department, international passports, temporary employment visit passes and the soft copy of a "Special Pass" - an immigration pass issued to foreign nationals allowing them to extend their stay in Malaysia.

The Immigration Department's director-general Mustafar Ali said that the syndicate had been active for the past 18 months, with a regular clientele from the Greater Kuala Lumpur area.

"The suspects were believed to have charged RM200 (S$67) to customers who wished to obtain a Special Pass valid for 30 days, and RM100 for immigration stamps from the country's main entry and exit points," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Datuk Seri Mustafar added that the suspected mastermind would usually meet regular customers at designated locations and "endorse" passports with his fake stamps inside a car or toilet.

The official said initial investigations revealed that the man purchased the immigration stamps for RM1,000 each from a Malaysian.

BERNAMA