Malaysia’s Immigration Department has busted another document forgery syndicate in Kuala Lumpur, arresting three Indonesian nationals and seizing 119 suspected forged passports.

The arrests were made during a special operation conducted late Tuesday night at residential premises in Taman Sri Kuching and Taman Bukit Cheras following a month-long intelligence-gathering effort, the department said.

The suspects, aged between 30 and 50, included a man believed to be the syndicate’s mastermind, along with another man and a woman allegedly involved in the operation.

Initial investigations found that the alleged mastermind was holding a Temporary Employment Visit Pass (PLKS) for the construction sector, while the other two suspects had overstayed their visas in Malaysia.

The seized passports included 85 Indonesian, seven Bangladeshi, 22 Myanmar, two Vietnamese, one Nepalese and two Indian passports.

Immigration officers also seized a printer, several mobile phones and 1,500 ringgit in cash believed to be proceeds from the illegal activity.

According to the department, the syndicate targeted foreign workers in the Klang Valley who had either failed or been declared “unfit” during mandatory medical screening under the Foreign Workers’ Medical Examination Monitoring Agency (FOMEMA).

The syndicate allegedly altered passports so that they could be used during the medical screening process, charging between 80 ringgit and 130 ringgit for each forged passport.

The Immigration Department said the latest operation marked the fifth successful crackdown on a syndicate using the same modus operandi, which is believed to have been operating since early this year.

All three have been taken to the Putrajaya Immigration Office for further investigation.

Immigration Director-General Zakaria Shaaban said the department would continue taking firm enforcement action against activities that violate Malaysian laws to safeguard the country’s security, stability and prosperity.