PEKAN: The police have arrested four more individuals to assist in the investigation into the sale and purchase of suspected fake medical certificates (MCs) in this district.
Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said all the individuals in their 40s, believed to be buyers, were arrested around the district last Wednesday (June 17).
He said the police will record statements from them to complete the ongoing case investigation.
"Meanwhile, five individuals including a civil servant (nurse) who were arrested previously were released on police bail on Friday (June 19) after their remand period expired," he said.
He said this when met at the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between the Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (YaPEIM) and Pahang police at the Pekan Municipal Council Convention Hall on Friday.
According to Yahaya, the case is being investigated under Section 468 of the Penal Code for forgery for the purpose of cheating and Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Previously, five individuals including a female nurse from a government clinic were remanded to assist in the investigation into the sale and purchase of suspected fake MCs.
The order was issued by Magistrate Melody Woon Sze Mun following an application from the police after the arrest of all the suspects.
The case was uncovered after the Pekan District Health Office received information on May 12 regarding the sale of MCs allegedly occurring among factory workers in this district.
Acting on information and intelligence, the police arrested five suspects aged between 30 and 55 during an operation around the Pekan district on June 15.
They comprise three individuals suspected of being middlemen, a civil servant believed to have supplied the fake MCs and another individual believed to have obtained and used the documents.
Checks revealed that the MCs used the name and stamp of a medical officer who had transferred to another duty station since 2023.
Further investigation found that the serial numbers used were part of an official MC book distributed to a government clinic in the district.
The police believe the MCs were sold at prices between RM50 and RM200 each through several individuals acting as middlemen to secure customers.
