KUALA LUMPUR – At least 15 Bangladeshi men, posing themselves as cricketers, were arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the foreign media reported on Wednesday.
The border force stopped the Bangladeshi men at the airport but they said that they were part of an international cricket team and were travelling to Malaysia to play a tournament. The Bangladeshi men said that the tournament being organized by Penang Cricket Association.
However, the investigation revealed that there was no such tournament.
According to the group’s claims, no tournament was scheduled between March 21 and 23. The legal proceedings are underway regarding the matter.
Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) expressed growing suspicion when the group sought a sponsor to act as a guarantor.
It said that the individual presented as the ‘guarantor’ admitted to having no knowledge about the cricket tournament and attended merely as a company representative.
AKPS, upon further investigation, discovered no substantial evidence proving they were actual cricketers. It was suspected that the group might be part of a syndicate attempting to pose as cricketers in order to enter Malaysia for other illicit activities.
“The group has been marked as “not to land” and additional actions will be taken in accordance with immigration regulations,” said AKPS officials.
They issued a warning that any person or syndicate attempting to exploit sports visas for illegal activities such as unauthorized employment or human trafficking would face strict consequences.
