KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 — Police have arrested five men believed to be ‘collectors’ and ‘runners’ for an unlicensed moneylending syndicate, or “along”, and seized 2,924 ATM cards.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (JSJK) director Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa said that following surveillance in Subang Jaya, police arrested three local men who were acting suspiciously in front of a bank on August 8.
He said subsequent checks at the premises where the men lived and worked in Subang Jaya led to the arrest of two more individuals suspected of involvement in the same activities.
“Investigations revealed that the individuals were working as ‘collectors’ and ‘runners,’ tasked with withdrawing money from ATM cards for an along (loan shark) syndicate,” he told a press conference today.
Rusdi said a search of the premises uncovered ATM cards, RM119,997 in cash, 14 mobile phones, as well as various loan agreement documents and personal details of individuals.
He said those arrested were paid monthly wages of between RM2,500 and RM3,500 to withdraw cash using ATM cards, and had been working with the syndicate for periods ranging from six months to two years.
“They received instructions from their supervisors via the Telegram application. Each day, withdrawals ranged between RM5,000 and RM8,000, after which the money was packaged and sent to a designated address through a delivery service company,” he said.
According to Rusdi, further inspection of the seized ATM cards revealed that 18 of the account numbers linked to the investment fraud did not exist.
He said all suspects, aged between 26 and 36, were released on police bail on Aug 12, and the case is being investigated under Section 424 of the Penal Code and Section 5(2) of the Moneylenders Act 1951.
The police are now working to trace the owners of the ATM cards as well as the masterminds behind the unlicensed moneylending syndicate, he added. — Bernama
