MELAKA, - Police arrested 12 individuals believed to be involved in online scams in two separate raids around Melaka yesterday (June 1).
State police chief Datuk Zainol Samah said in the first raid on a house in Taman Cheng Perdana at 10.40 am, 11 suspects, comprising eight men and three women, aged 18 to 24 were detained.
"The arrest was made following a report made by a 15-year-old boy who claimed to have been beaten and robbed by a group of men suspected to be carrying out fraudulent activities online,” he said in a statement today.
He said initial investigations revealed that the syndicate, which has been active for a year, was involved in 12 online scams in Kedah, Selangor, Melaka, Terengganu, Sarawak, Perlis and Perak, resulting in losses totalling about RM65,000.
Zainol said the syndicate has been renting the premises at RM4,000 a month and using it as their operating centre since last month.
He said four of the men had two previous convictions each in connection with scams in other states and police seized various goods worth RM17,000 during the raid.
Zainol said in the second raid at 1.15 pm, a 25-year-old man known as ‘Ah Boy’, believed to be the manager of the online scam centre, was nabbed outside a eatery at Simpang Ampat, Alor Gajah here.
He said that before the man was arrested, he had offered the police a bribe of RM60,000 which was in a bag placed in the car.
"The bribe was as an inducement to release him and his friends but the suspect was arrested, and the money was seized for further investigation for attempting to bribe a police officer.
"The suspect and the money will also be handed over to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for further action," he said.
Zainol said all the suspects have been remanded for four days beginning today to facilitate investigations under Section 420 of the Penal Code - BERNAMA
State police chief Datuk Zainol Samah said in the first raid on a house in Taman Cheng Perdana at 10.40 am, 11 suspects, comprising eight men and three women, aged 18 to 24 were detained.
"The arrest was made following a report made by a 15-year-old boy who claimed to have been beaten and robbed by a group of men suspected to be carrying out fraudulent activities online,” he said in a statement today.
He said initial investigations revealed that the syndicate, which has been active for a year, was involved in 12 online scams in Kedah, Selangor, Melaka, Terengganu, Sarawak, Perlis and Perak, resulting in losses totalling about RM65,000.
Zainol said the syndicate has been renting the premises at RM4,000 a month and using it as their operating centre since last month.
He said four of the men had two previous convictions each in connection with scams in other states and police seized various goods worth RM17,000 during the raid.
Zainol said in the second raid at 1.15 pm, a 25-year-old man known as ‘Ah Boy’, believed to be the manager of the online scam centre, was nabbed outside a eatery at Simpang Ampat, Alor Gajah here.
He said that before the man was arrested, he had offered the police a bribe of RM60,000 which was in a bag placed in the car.
"The bribe was as an inducement to release him and his friends but the suspect was arrested, and the money was seized for further investigation for attempting to bribe a police officer.
"The suspect and the money will also be handed over to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for further action," he said.
Zainol said all the suspects have been remanded for four days beginning today to facilitate investigations under Section 420 of the Penal Code - BERNAMA