ALOR SETAR: Police have crippled an online fraud syndicate with the arrest of eight men and a woman in operations in Kedah and Penang on Thursday (Jan 20).
Kedah police chief Comm Wan Hassan Wan Ahmad said all the suspects, aged between 19 and 51 years old, were nabbed by a team from the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department and the Kedah Police Contingent Headquarters.
"The suspects were arrested in four simultaneous raids at 1.15pm Thursday and the preliminary investigations found that they have been involved with the activities since last year by impersonating officials from government agencies including the Inland Revenue Board,” he told a press conference here Sunday (Jan 23).
During the operations, police also confiscated several items including laptops, mobile phones, three vehicles and cash amounting to RM14,000.
He said all the suspects have been remanded until Tuesday (Jan 25) for investigations under Section 420 of the Penal Code, adding that police are tracking down two more men, aged 38 and 41 years old, respectively, who are believed to be involved in the case.
Meanwhile, Comm Wan Hassan said a total of 1,881 commercial crime cases were recorded in the state last year, an increase from 1,125 cases in 2020, of which 90% were related to online purchases, Macau scams, non-existent loans and investments as well as love scams.
"The total losses in 2021 recorded an increase to more than RM28mil compared to RM17mil in 2020,” he said.
In this regard, he advised the public not to be deceived by phone calls received from unknown individuals disguised as officials from government agencies and to seek confirmation by contacting the CCID Scam Response Centre at 03-2610 1559/1599. - Bernama
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