A Pakistani, said to be the middleman in the illegal activities, has also been picked up for questioning by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
This brings to nine the total number of suspects arrested in connection with complaints that throughout last year quite a number of Pakistanis had been given long-term social visit passes through their local wives.
However, in reality, no such applications were made and the women were also not their wives, it was learnt.
Four officers from the Lahad Datu Immigration Department and a woman clerk were initially detained on Monday. They have since been remanded for a week under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009 for asking bribes.
In the latest development to the ever-widening probe, three officers – two from the State capital and another from Lahad Datu – were arrested and subsequently remanded.
The high-ranking officer is said to have been picked up in the city.
The ninth suspect, a Pakistani who is believed to have been the go-between in the scam, is expected to be brought to court today (Friday) for remand proceedings.
In a related development, a peninsula-based news portal claimed hundreds of such long-term social visit passes had been sold for RM11,000 each to Pakistanis in the State.
During the initial arrest of the four immigration officers and the woman clerk on Monday, the MACC confiscated two cheques for RM175,000 and RM7,500 during a raid on the suspects' house.
MACC also seized cash amounting to RM50,000 from another house and several related files from the Lahad Datu immigration office for investigation.
Meanwhile, the Sabah Government will not compromise on any lack of integrity and unlawful acts among government officers in positions of authority.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said to this end, the State Government expected the relevant authorities to take action against four immigration officers arrested in Lahad Datu on suspicion of giving dubious long-term social visit passes to foreigners to stay in the State.
"If found guilty, the maximum penalty must be imposed so it will act as a deterrent to others," he said in a statement here, Thursday.
He was commenting on the arrest of the immigration officers on Monday, following complaints that Pakistanis had been getting dubious long-term social visit passes to stay in the State.
The suspects, aged between 29 and 56, are attached to the Lahad Datu Immigration Department.
They have been remanded for a week since Monday to facilitate investigations under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 for soliciting bribes.
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