Fifth officer nabbed in illegal business investigation

PUTRAJAYA: An assistant enforcement officer from the Shah Alam City Council has been arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), taking the total of those arrested to five over allegations that certain authorities are on the take from illegal businesses in Sungai Buloh.

In the latest arrest, the 38-year-old, who was remanded for a week to help in investigation, was detained on Wednesday night and brought before Magistrate Shah Wira Abdul Halim.

Four enforcement personnel were arrested earlier this week and have also been remanded for a week. Also under remand is a 44-year-old foreign trader.

Sources said the suspect is a cigarette smuggler who is here without a valid document.

It is learnt that the man, who has been operating since 2019, is believed to have been paying certain officials around RM300 a month to avoid action.

MACC said it would investigate claims that certain enforcement authorities were on the take and protecting illegal businesses in Sungai Buloh. Its chief commissioner Datuk Seri Azam Baki has not ruled out the possibility of more enforcement officers being probed.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin had assured that action would be taken against those involved in protecting illegal businesses.