Macau Scam: 25 Chinese, four Taiwanese nationals remanded for four days

A total of 25 individuals of Chinese and Taiwanese nationals were remanded for four days, from yesterday, to facilitate investigations into the Macau Scam syndicate.

Magistrate Khairul Nizam Abu Bakar issued the remand order for 13 men and seven women of Chinese nationals and four men and a woman of Taiwanese nationals, all aged between 20 and 30 years.

The arrest of syndicate members in the 3.30pm raid in Shah Alam, Selangor, on Wednesday, also revealed that the country had become the operations centre for carrying out fraudulent activities against Taiwanese nationals.

The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence, a fine and whipping, upon conviction.

Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Datuk Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani was previously reported as saying that the suspects had posed as officers from telecommunications companies in Taiwan.

"The suspects then informed the victims that they owed huge amount of Internet usage debt before being asked to make the payment as soon as possible by transferring money into bank account in Taiwan," he said.

Acryl said during the first four months of this year, a total of 270 investigation papers have been opened regarding the Macau Scam fraud involving a loss of RM9.49 million.

- BERNAMA