Malaysia Crime Watch

5 September 2007
Shah Alam

A 26-year-old officer from the Selangor Land and Mines Department is being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) for allegedly accepting a RM2 million bribe last year. Investigations started from a tip-off about the luxurious lifestyle the officer had since February this year.

ACA has seized a house valued at RM150,000 and two cars worth between RM160,000 and RM170,000 that belonged to the suspect. A fixed deposit account RM400,000 has also been frozen under Section 36 of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997.

It is believed that the bribe that the suspect accepted was meant to approve the development of land and change the land status.

Investigations are ongoing and the case would be forwarded to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

The Star Online – Land officer under probe, properties seized
<URL:http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/5/nation/18782382&sec=nation>

New Straits Times – ACA probes land officer, seizes cars and RM400,000
<URL:http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/National/20070905074709/Article/index_html>

Technorati Tags: malaysia crime, malaysia, crime, shah alam, selangor land and mines department, corruption, bribery, anti-corruption agency, aca

5 September 2007
Butterworth

Officers from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry’s enforcement division detained two sea vessels and arrested 13 people, in an attempt to stop RM500,000 worth of subsidised diesel fuel to be smuggled to a Myanmar vessel yesterday at 5pm. 11 of them were Myanmar nationals.

The diesel would have caused losses of millions of ringgit. 15 officers nabbed the suspects who were transferring the fuel to the Myanmar vessel at the Prai barter trade wharf. 275,000 litres of diesel, stored in drums, were seized. They were initially stored in a tanker that belonged to a local diesel supply company.

It is believed that the fuel could have been obtained from a fuel depot or could have been diesel meant for the local use by fishermen. The company’s site manager and clerk have been arrested as well. The case is being investigated under the Supply Control Act 1961 and the penalty is a RM250,000 fine or three years’ jail upon conviction.

New Straits Times – Smuggling of RM500,000 diesel foiled
<URL:http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/National/20070905074952/Article/index_html>

Technorati Tags: malaysia crime, malaysia, crime, butterworth, prai, subsidised fuel, smuggling, diesel, domestic trade and consumer affairs, mynamar vessel, supply control act

5 September 2007
Kuala Lumpur

A 39-year-old building contractor fell victim to a lottery scam and lost RM1.7 million in the end. K.V. Chung from Sabah was notified by his wife who received a call from a man known as Mr Sung notifying him that she had won a RM100,000 lottery in April.

The caller claimed that he was from a company in Genting Highlands. In order to obtain the cash reward, Chung was instructed to pay RM3,900 as processing fee and RM24,500 as membership fee to a club.

After the amounts have been paid, Chung said the syndicate pressured him in giving more money as investment before the cash reward could be transferred to his account.

At one point, Chung was told that he had won RM2.4 million but had to pay US$7,000 first. Chung even flew to Hong Kong twice to meet the president and bank manager of the company. There, he was further pressured into depositing more money while he was lavished with meals and special treats.

Between May and August this year, Chung had deposited RM1.7 million into 86 different accounts which are believed to be held by local students. He had used RM700,000 of his savings and borrowed the rest.

It is believed that these students would get a few hundred ringgit from the syndicate for using their accounts for such scams.

The Star Online – RM1.7mil loss to get RM100,000
<URL:http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/5/nation/18783338&sec=nation>

New Straits Times – Cross Country: Man loses RM1.7m in scam
<URL:http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/National/20070905081521/Article/index_html>

Technorati Tags: malaysia crime, malaysia, crime, kuala lumpur, lottery scam, investment scam, scam