The Immigration Department disables syndicates that use foreigners, children to beg in the nation’s capital

KUALA LUMPUR: The Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department disabled a syndicate using foreigners and children to carry out begging activities around the nation’s capital in a raid on Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah last night.

Reported by Bernama, it is even sadder that babies and children aged between 10 months and six years are given medicine believed to ‘put them to sleep’ before being taken by adult foreigners to carry out begging activities around Jalan Chow Kit, Jalan Masjid India and Jalan Sentul in the morning.

The act is believed to gain the sympathy of the public and thus increase the ‘income’ of the foreigners involved as a result of begging activities.

The tactic was revealed after the department raided a four-storey shop building at about 9 last night and found several bottles of cough medicine in the residence rented by the foreigners involved.

It is understood that the shophouse building is also used as a settlement for suspected foreigners from Pakistan, Indonesia and India with a rental rate of RM800 per month which is inhabited by about eight individuals in one small room including several children.

The raid was also successful in uncovering passport document forgery syndicates hiding behind laundries, telecommunications equipment and barber shops.

A Bernama reporter who also participated in the raid found that the back of the premises was used as the syndicate’s operating office and that the business was merely covering the eyes of the authorities after dozens of passports believed to have fake stamps were found inside the premises.

Kuala Lumpur Immigration Director Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff said the raid which ended at about 12 midnight last night was conducted based on the results of six months of observation at the location.

He said his party arrested 79 foreigners and one local man, all aged between 10 months and 59 years.

“A total of 77 Pakistani nationals were arrested, including 44 men, women (22), boys (four), girls (seven) in addition to an Indonesian woman, an Indian woman and a local man,” he said in a statement.

Wan Saupee said all those detained were taken to the Bukit Jalil Immigration Depot for investigation in accordance with the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155) and the Passport Act 1966 (Act 150).