Monday, July 11 2005 10:39 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian police have arrested an Indian national in connection with the theft of 8000 documents from the country's Immigration Department in Kuantan province, a media report said today (July 11, 2005).

District police chief Kamal Pasha said the suspect had an Indian passport with a pass sticker number which was believed to be stolen from the Immigration Department in Kuantan last year.

"His passport number was found to be the same as that of the stolen passport," the police official said at the end of a search operation against special crimes in the capital here.

The man, who was not identified by the New Straits times daily, was stated to be 42 year-old and detained in Kuala Lumpur's Jalan Masjid India area.

Last May, some men broke into the Kuantan Immigration Department and fled with 8000 ringett (Rs 90,000) as well as 8000 documents belonging to the Malaysian Government.

Among the documents stolen were work permit stickers, 17 special stickers, 150 Malaysian passes and 192 Malaysian passes with the orange stripe, it said.

Police said they hoped to uncover the mastermind behind the theft of the Government documents.

During the operation, 220 people were checked and 19 detained for various offences including testing positive for drugs, drugs possession and possessing forged travel documents.