Penang cops bust fake loan scam worth over RM1 mil

GEORGE TOWN – Penang police have successfully solved a fake money lending case, involving 132 investigation papers from all over the country with a value of RM1.19 million.

State police chief Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said police raided a luxury condominium in Bandar Perda, Bukit Mertajam on June 15, and arrested 13 locals.

Shuhaily said the 13 individuals, comprising nine men and four women, were aged between 19 and 30 years old and hailed from Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Johor, Sabah, and Penang.

“We confiscated 27 mobile phones, 10 notebooks, victims’ account numbers, and scripts believed to be used to deceive victims.

“They are believed to have been active since last year, and they collected processing fees from the victims without providing loans as promised,” he said at a press conference at the state police headquarters, today.

Shuhaily said the syndicate’s modus operandi was to advertise the loan through social media channels, and the syndicate would then connect with the victim and deceive them by asking for advance payment as a processing fee.

He said the case was being investigated under Section 427 of the Penal Code and Section 420 of the Penal Code.

In a separate matter, Penang police are hunting for four individuals believed to be members of an organised crime gang involved in a drug smuggling case.

Prior to this, Shuhaily said, his team had arrested 14 individuals on May 26, through Ops Cantas Tanjung III.

He said his party believed that the detention of the four wanted suspects – comprising two locals and two Indonesians – would completely cripple the syndicate.

“The local suspects wanted by the police are K. Harivin Raj, 25; whose last address is at Mutiara Court Lorong Delima 20, Island Glade, while B. Jagandran, 47, whose last address at Lorong 18, Taman Sejahtera Alam, Bukit Mertajam.

“The foreign men who were hunted were known as Juanda and Afrizal,” he said.

He also asked for people with information to contact the nearest police station to assist in the investigation. – The Vibes, June 20, 2022