Police cripple Macau Scam in Kuching

The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), with the cooperation of its counterparts in Taiwan and China, has crippled an Internet syndicate, believed to have transferred funds of more than RM4 billion, known as the "Macau scam".

This followed the arrest of 84 foreign nationals and a local in a raid at two locations in the city here Thursday, said Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani.

He said 55 of the foreigners 931 men and 24 women) and a local were detained at the first location, followed by 29 others, including 13 women, at the second location.

"Also seized in the operation were 113 telephones, 11 laptops, two desktop computers, modems, routers, handphones and other electronic gadgets," he told reporters here yesterday.

He said investigations revealed that members of the syndicate hoodwinked their victims on the Internet by claiming to be policemen, either from China or Taiwan.

"What they (syndicate members) did was to inform the victims that their bank accounts were being investigated by the Central Bank of their respective countries and might be frozen.

"Having succeeded in making the victims scared, the syndicate members coaxed the victims to transfer their money to a temporary account," he added.

He said the foreign suspects would be detained pending their extradition to their respective country.