KUALA LUMPUR: A total of ten individuals, including five senior Armed Forces officers, who were detained over suspected involvement in a smuggling syndicate operating in the southern region of the country have been remanded.
The others remanded were two online portal journalists, a company manager, an administrative assistant at the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and a foreign woman.
Four male suspects have been remanded for Aug 20.
Another two men and one woman will be remanded until Aug 18, while two men and an Indonesian woman will be detained until Aug 15.
The remand orders were issued by Magistrate Irza Zulaikha Rohanuddin after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) filed the application at a Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court on Thursday (Aug 14).
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Sources said the arrests, involving suspects aged between 30 and 55 years old, were made in the Klang Valley during “Ops Sohor” conducted by MACC’s intelligence division with the cooperation of the police on Wednesday (Aug 13).
“The senior military intelligence officers are believed to have colluded with the syndicate, leaking operational details to help them avoid enforcement action.
“The smuggled items included drugs, cigarettes and other goods from neighbouring countries, with an estimated value of RM5mil each month,” the source said.
The investigation, carried out over the past 12 months, found that the syndicate allegedly paid between RM30,000 and RM50,000 to the military officers for each smuggling operation. The officers’ involvement was described as extensive and complex.
During Wednesday’s operation, MACC also seized more than RM63,000 in cash, several packets of suspected drugs, weighing and measuring equipment, alcohol, and a replica firearm.
MACC senior director of Intelligence Datuk Saiful Ezral Arifin when contacted, confirmed the arrests, saying the case is being investigated for corruption and money laundering activities.
