KUALA LUMPUR: Police will take strict action against any Joint Management Body (JMB) if investigations find that they are protecting fraudulent activities that frequently use condominium premises as operational bases.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said investigations would also be conducted into property owners and security companies at the premises involved to prevent such crimes.
He said this was based on intelligence findings that some security companies and building management organisations are aware of criminal or suspicious activities within their condominiums but turn a blind eye against them.
As such, the authorities are considering invoking Section 120(B) of the Penal Code, which pertains to criminal conspiracy.
“I want to reiterate the importance of property owners understanding and implementing KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures before renting out their premises. Some tenants involved in certain activities may modify the units to accommodate computer setups and other equipment, so it’s crucial to monitor these changes,“ Ramli told a press conference today.
He stressed the importance of this measure, as intelligence indicates that foreign syndicates involved in fraudulent activities are shifting their operations to Malaysia due to stricter enforcement and crackdowns in their home countries.
Meanwhile, Ramli said police arrested 11 Chinese nationals, including a woman, in three separate raids on condominium units in Jalan Tun Razak on Feb 26 on suspicion of operating scam call centres.
Investigations found that these syndicates had been targeting victims in China, using the three condominium units as bases for periods ranging from two months to a year, he said.
“In the first raid, three men and one woman were arrested for allegedly running an online lucky draw scam that promised winners RMB100,000 (about RM61,111.57).
“Victims were initially asked to register via an application and choose different packages to top up their accounts. However, after making the payments, they were blocked from registering and suffered financial losses,“ he said.
In the second raid, two men were arrested for running an online gaming scam via Telegram to promote various games on a gaming platform, he said.
“Victims had to pay with USDT cryptocurrency to register. However, after making payments, they lost access to the promised games,” Ramli added.
In the third raid, he said five men were arrested for allegedly running an investment fraud call centre, where they coached victims through live-streaming sessions.
The syndicate used a platform granting victims access to an application for live-streamed “investment tutorials” that supposedly taught them how to invest, he added.
He said the cases are being investigated under Section 420 and Section 120(B) of the Penal Code as well as Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
