PETALING JAYA: The Royal Malaysia Police has confirmed that there will be several more arrests in the near future following the uncovering of a fraudulent investment scheme based on the Ponzi concept known as the MBI Investment Scheme.
Head of Bukit Aman’s Anti-Money Laundering Crime Investigation Team (AMLA), Datuk Muhammed Hasbullah Ali, stated that ongoing investigations and intelligence gathering have led to new evidence believed to implicate more individuals connected to the syndicate.
“In the aftermath of earlier arrests, we have uncovered new evidence through intelligence and up-to-date information obtained via close cooperation with foreign enforcement agencies.
“Through the raids conducted, we found more material evidence that strengthens our investigation, and we do not rule out the possibility of further arrests soon,” he said when contacted by Sinar Harian on Saturday (April 12).
He added that investigations revealed the MBI investment scheme had been in operation for several years and was among the most active cross-border fraudulent investment syndicates.
According to him, many victims only began lodging police reports after realising their investments were yielding no returns and started to notice elements of organised and systematic deception behind the scheme.
Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain previously confirmed in a statement that eight local individuals – including two entrepreneurs with the title “Datuk,” two lawyers, and one woman aged between 44 and 62 – had been arrested during Ops Northern Star, which was launched on March 20.
The arrests, he said, were the result of in-depth investigations by the AMLA unit in collaboration with Interpol, which has issued red notices against several individuals linked to the investment scheme.