ALOR SETAR, March 29 (Bernama) -- The Kedah Immigration Department (JIM) foiled an attempt to falsify the identity of a 14-year-old Sri Lankan girl at the Immigration Office in Sungai Petani UTC on Wednesday.
In a statement on its official Facebook page, Kedah JIM said the teenager was detained at approximately 8.40 am while applying for a Malaysian passport.
“Investigations revealed that the girl could not communicate in Bahasa Melayu and was only fluent in Tamil, raising suspicions among immigration officers. She had been accompanied by a Malaysian woman who claimed to be her mother.
“When the matter was referred to the supervisor on duty, the woman suddenly fled, abandoning the identification card and birth certificate submitted for the passport application,” the statement read.
Kedah JIM said a review of CCTV footage and the abandoned documents led to the identification of the main suspect - an Indian woman who had claimed to be the teenager’s mother.
“Efforts are underway to track down the suspect, while the teenager is currently under Kedah JIM’s care, awaiting further action by the Enforcement Division.
“A police report has been lodged, and the case is being investigated under Section 56(1)(k) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for the use of fraudulent identification documents. JIM remains steadfast in safeguarding the integrity of Malaysia’s travel documents,” it added.
-- BERNAMA
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