KUALA LUMPUR: The senior Armed Forces officers and journalists arrested by graft busters in the Klang Valley recently are believed to have leaked military operation details to smugglers.
The leaked information is believed to have allowed illicit activities in southern Malaysian waters to proceed without interference from security and enforcement agencies.
The five officers and two news portal journalists, themselves former military personnel, have now been remanded.
Also remanded were a company manager, an administrative assistant from the Malaysian Medical Association and a foreign woman.
All were aged between 30 and 55.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki (pic) said investigators have linked four companies to the smuggling of prohibited goods, including drugs, cigarettes and other contraband.
“The number of syndicates involved is still under investigation. We do not rule out the possibility of cross-border networks.
“Our probe is currently focused on suspects who are alleged to have received bribes from smugglers in exchange for military operational details along the nation’s maritime borders,” he said yesterday.
Azam said two premises belonging to one of the suspects were raided on Aug 14, with RM120,190 in cash found.
“The total cash seized so far stands at RM183,390. Fake firearms and drugs were also seized and handed over to the police for further investigation,” he added.
Authorities have frozen bank accounts belonging to 12 people, as well as 24 accounts linked to a company, amounting to RM155,609.77.
He said the MACC would also investigate an online media company following the arrest of two of its staff members.
“We have reason to believe the company is being used as a front to enable and facilitate money laundering activities,” he said.
Meanwhile, Azam said the MACC has seized assets worth RM31.4bil from corruption-related activities over the past five years.
It had also forfeited assets valued at nearly RM28bil during the period.
The amount included the RM183mil of assets seized from smuggling syndicates under the recent Ops Metal.
“MACC seized luxury assets worth RM32mil from the residence of a ‘Tan Sri’, including 217 luxury watches and 27 designer handbags,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Azam described the operations as evidence of the MACC’s proactive approach in detecting, investigating and taking firm action against those involved in corruption and money laundering.
