PETALING JAYA: Investigations into illegal farming in Cameron Highlands revealed that a Bangladeshi owns a RM500,000 stake in a company implicated in such activities, said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

Commenting on the arrest of two more vegetable farmers as well as the Bangladeshi yesterday, MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Seri Shukri Abdull said the Bangladeshi, 42, had been in the country for 10 years and is believed to have bribed several officials “to look the other way” on illegal land clearing.

MACC arrested 19 vegetable farmers recently.

“We believe the others arrested tried to bribe officials over other offences such as harbouring illegal immigrants and possessing illegal poison.

“We were able to round up all the suspects based on cooperation with the National Security Council,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Shukri added that the two-day special operation codenamed Ops Sejuk, which concluded yesterday, revealed that bribery took place in several areas in Cameron Highlands, including Tanah Rata, Ringlet, Tringkap, Brinchang and Kampung Raja.

Those arrested were aged between 20 and 68, and are out on bail of RM5,000 each with one surety.

“We will focus on the offence of corruption, while illegal land clearing and illegal immigrants or workers will be handled by other agencies,” he said.

Shukri said the vegetable farmers who were active on a 41ha plot of land faced charges under Section 17(b) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act for giving bribes.

“They were paying up to RM30,000 so that they would be left alone,” he said when revealing the findings of the MACC investigations since last December.

Last year, five people died and 90 were left homeless after mud floods blamed on land clearing ravaged Cameron Highlands.