False identity card syndicate agent detained: NRD DG

TAWAU: The National Registration Department (NRD) has detained 10 individuals including two local men believed to be the masterminds of a false identity card syndicate in a special operation conducted throughout the district last night.
RTD Director-General Mohd Yazid Ramli said the operation began at about 9.30pm in a hotel in the town.
"A man, 51, who was detained in a room in the hotel was believed to have been active as an agent looking for clients or foreigners who were interested to get the false identity cards for a fee of between RM3,000 and RM6,000," he said in a statement here today.
He said intelligence works and surveillance of the man's activities conducted for two weeks led to his arrest.
"A search of the hotel revealed his activities with the discovery of 26 false identity cards which had not yet been handed over to the clients.
"Also seized was cash amounting to RM3,839 believed to have been the proceeds of his activities," he added.
Mohd Yazid said at the time of his arrest, the man was with a Filipina in the room who had a false identity card on her.
"The woman is suspected to be his assistant in processing the false identity cards," he added.
Further checks at the hotel's parking area led to the arrest of a local man who had a paper-wrapped plastic parcel on the top of his car containing American currency amounting to US$17,100 (RM77,000) as well RM200 believed to be counterfeit.
A second operation in a village led to the arrest of four Indonesians who were believed to be using false identity cards.
"NRD also arrested three others, believed to be Indonesians who had no identification documents and were handed over to the police for further action," he said.
The operations ended at about 1.30am without any untoward incident.
Besides the 12 NRD personnel, others who participated in the operations were members of the Police force as well as the Malaysian Armed Forces in Tawau.
Mohd Yazid stressed that the NRD would continue carrying out intelligence and surveillance works to track down the masterminds, agents and syndicates producing false identity cards. — Bernama