KUALA LUMPUR — 37 enforcement officials have been nabbed for suspected collusion with a syndicate to bring foreigners into the country through the international airport here using “special counter” clearance.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) arrested the 37 officials in Kuala Lumpur, Kelantan, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and Johor yesterday, under an operation called Op Pump 2.0.
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said graft-busters also seized cash totalling more than RM1 million.
Of the amount, over RM500,000 was held by one of those arrested in Pahang, while over RM200,000 was from another suspect arrested in Selangor.
More than RM170,000 was held by another arrested in Johor, and more than RM100,000 was from a suspect in Negeri Sembilan.
“The cash is believed to have been obtained from bribes received from a syndicate that brought in foreigners at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1 (KLIA1) and Terminal 2 (KLIA2),” he said.
MACC also seized jewellery, including gold bars and gold dinars, branded watches, cars and motorcycles as well as mobile phones.
Azam said those detained involved 27 men and 10 women aged between 20 and 40 who are currently being investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009.
The agency applied for remand orders today which were granted by magistrates’ courts in different states.
The Putrajaya magistrate’s court allowed the remand of nine suspects, comprising five men and four women, have been remanded for five days until September 17.
Another eight male enforcement officers and three female officers were remanded for five days starting today by the Shah Alam magistrate’s court.
The Seremban magistrate’s court meanwhile, granted a seven-day remand order until September 19 for seven male law enforcement officers.
In Melaka, the Ayer Keroh magistrate court allowed MACC to remand three male enforcement officers and one female officer, while the Kuala Lumpur magistrate’s court allowed four male law enforcers to be remanded for six days until September 18.
Three other law enforcement officers involving two women and one man were released on MACC bail after their statements were recorded. — September 13, 2024