Cover image via New Straits Times
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An Indonesian man who had been living illegally in Malaysia for three years was finally caught at KLIA Terminal 2, but what gave him away?
A passport that had apparently been 'flying' around on its own.
Immigration officers stopped the 33-year-old on Saturday evening, 2 August, after they spotted fishy security stamps in his passport during a routine inspection.
According to the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA), he had originally entered Malaysia legally through Pasir Gudang, Johor, in July 2022. Records also showed he exited the country via KLIA a month later.
The problem? He never actually left.
Despite his passport showing multiple entries and exits between 2022 and 2025, the immigration system (MyIMMs) had zero official records of those movements. When pressed, the man confessed he had been in the country the entire time — and paid RM4,000 to get the fake stamps.
File photo of 'flying passports' that were seized by Malaysia authorities.
Image via Hazreen Mohamad/New Straits TimesSo, what exactly is a "flying passport"?
While it's not some James Bond gadget, it's just as shady.
A "flying passport" refers to a foreigner's passport being sent — without its owner — across the border to get stamped by rogue immigration officers. The passport is then returned to the owner, who can use it to pretend they left and re-entered Malaysia legally, without ever actually moving an inch.
The process usually involves a third party, often called a "runner", who physically transports the passport across a land border (say, into Thailand or Indonesia) where it gets stamped, and then brought back to the original holder.
The whole thing costs anywhere from RM500 to RM2,000, depending on how risky or urgent the job is, reported the New Straits Times.
Once stamped, the 'flying passport' shows fake travel records, allowing foreign nationals to:
- Bypass visa expiry or overstay penalties
- Renew tourist visas repeatedly
- Avoid biometric tracking or other immigration red flags
The Indonesian national who was arrested for using a 'flying passport' at KLIA Terminal 2.
Image via Malaysia GazetteThis isn't just a harmless workaround, either
A former senior immigration officer told the English daily that these fake exit-entry logs open the door to more serious crimes, including human trafficking, money laundering, and even terrorism.
And it's not just about shady runners.
The system only works when there's collusion from rogue immigration officers at border checkpoints.
In July, four officers stationed at the Johor Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) complex in Bangunan Sultan Iskandar were arrested for allegedly stamping passports without their holders present — again, at the Malaysia-Singapore land border.
The 'flying passport' scheme has been reported in countries with porous land borders like Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. If left unchecked, repeated incidents could draw scrutiny from key partners such as Singapore, Japan, and the European Union.
Authorities say the syndicate behind this flying passport network is still under investigation, and MCBA has vowed to take disciplinary and criminal action for forged travel documents or other immigration offences.
