Four senior armed forces personnel suspected of being part of a smuggling syndicate will be hauled to court, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki said today.
He added that another senior armed forces personnel nabbed in the course of the investigation would likely face disciplinary action by the defence ministry.
“We have completed the investigation and referred it to the deputy public prosecutor who agreed that the four officers would be charged in court,” he said at a press conference here.
On Aug 13, it was reported that MACC had busted a smuggling syndicate allegedly operated by senior armed forces officers in the country’s south.
The raid led to the arrest of five senior officers and five civilians, including an Indonesian national, around the Klang Valley.
The senior officers were from the armed forces’ intelligence division, including two former personnel from the same unit. All five were suspended.
According to an MACC source, the suspects were assigned to monitor and curb smuggling activities but were believed to have colluded with the syndicate for the past five years, amassing more than RM3 million in bribes.
Initial investigations found that the five senior officers were suspected to have facilitated the entry of contraband including drugs and cigarettes from neighbouring countries, worth about RM5 million a month.
Commenting further on the matter, Azam said the deputy public prosecutor is looking into whether the civilians involved could be charged.
