KUALA LUMPUR: A 58-year-old Iranian man, believed to be the mastermind behind a document and passport forgery syndicate, was detained following a raid at a business premises along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

       Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud said the suspect had been living in the country for more than 30 years.

       "He has been using a social visit pass as he is the husband of a Malaysian citizen.

       "The suspect was in the midst of handing over forged documents during the raid on Wednesday (Jan 19)," he said in a statement on Friday (Jan 21).

       Further investigations led Immigration officers to an apartment unit at Bandar Baru Ampang, believed to be used as a storage area for the forged documents, he added.

       "We seized several items believed to be forged, including eight international passports of various countries, 29 temporary visit pass (PLKS) stickers, 24 international driving licences and RM4,000 cash," he said.

       Khairul Dzaimee said the syndicate would target foreigners, especially Iranians who wished to obtain passes and documents to stay in Malaysia.

       "The passes were priced between RM300 and RM500 each.

       "Payment for the syndicate's services were made via online transfer.

       "We believe they have been in operation for close to two years.

       "They tried to hide behind a mattress and cloth business to evade detection."