KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — A total of 40 individuals were arrested for suspected involvement with online gambling syndicates and illegal cryptocurrency activities in a series of raids in the capital and Selangor last Friday.
Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) secretary Datuk Noorsiah Mohd Saaduddin said 17 local men and one local woman, 15 Chinese men and six Chinese women, and one Singaporean, all aged between 20 and 58, were arrested.
“Items seized during the raids include mobile phones, United States currency, golden coloured bars, cars, watches, handbags, jewellery and computers,” she said in a statement tonight.
The online gambling syndicate was said to be targeting Taiwanese nationals and those interested to bet on the platform were asked to make money transfers to mule accounts in China.
“The syndicate was also conducting unlicensed cryptocurrency exchange activities, changing money received from China into cryptocurrency that was then sent back to the country,” she said.
The suspects have been remanded since Saturday till Thursday and they were being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code and Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
