PUTRAJAYA, March 20 — Ten civil servants, including a woman, have been remanded for four days starting today on suspicion of accepting over RM3 million in bribes from a tobacco, cigarette, and alcohol smuggling syndicate.
At the Putrajaya Magistrate’s Court, Magistrate Irza Zulaikha Rohanuddin granted the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)’s application for remand, ordering all individuals to remain in custody until Saturday (March 23).
According to a source, the suspects, aged between 30 and 50, were apprehended along with five others during Op Samba 2.0 at the MACC headquarters while giving their statement yesterday afternoon.
“The arrests were conducted by MACC’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Division, in collaboration with the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) since Monday (March 18).
“All suspects are believed to have received over RM2 million in bribes from the syndicate to facilitate the smuggling of chewing tobacco, cigarettes, alcohol, and various other items between 2017 and 2023,” the source said.
Following the arrests, MACC AML also confiscated mobile phones and froze the bank accounts of all suspects.
Previously, the AML Division apprehended 11 individuals, including five civil servants and a person with a ‘Datuk’ title, who was also remanded to assist in the investigation.
It is understood that the syndicate’s modus operandi includes using forwarding agents as intermediaries for payments to enforcement officers to ‘smoothen’ the process of smuggling alcohol, cigarettes, tobacco, and other items, without going through declaration and inspection procedures.
It is also believed to be using mule accounts to conduct bribe payments to colluding civil servants.
Additionally, the syndicate is implicated in money laundering activities by laundering money using ghost company business accounts, through money changers, and licenced money lending companies.
When contacted, MACC AML director Datuk Mohamad Zamri Zainul Abidin confirmed the remand of the suspects, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009.
Meanwhile, the five other individuals who were also detained were released on MACC bail.
— Bernama
