IPOH: Police successfully crippled a counterfeit money syndicate operating in several locations around Perak following the arrest of five locals on Feb 3.
Perak acting police chief, DCP Zulkafli Sariaat, said that three reports were received on Jan 29 from business owners of clothing shops and a petrol stations in the Kerian district regarding the illegal activity.
He said, acting on the information, police officers from the Commercial Crime Investigation Department of the Perak Contingent conducted an operation to track the movements of the syndicate members.
“At around 1.30am on Feb 3, a raid was carried out at a homestay in Pusing, Batu Gajah. As a result of the raid and inspection, two men and three women, all locals aged between 26 and 36 years, were arrested.
“During the raid, the police discovered and seized three RM100 banknotes, one RM20 banknote, six mobile phones of various brands, a laptop, a ream of A4 paper, a pair of scissors, several pieces of clothing, and a vehicle with a fake licence plate,“ he said in a statement today.
Zulkafli said that all of the suspects arrested were involved in the production of counterfeit money, which was used to purchase everyday necessities.
He added that the syndicate also used fake currency to buy mobile phones, which were then sold through social media platforms in face-to-face transactions with the sellers. Additionally, they used vehicles with fake registration plates to avoid detection by the authorities.
“These incidents occurred around Ipoh, Batu Gajah, Manjung, Kuala Kangsar, and Kerian, and have been reported in 2024 and 2025.
“To date, the police have managed to recover and seize a total of 83 counterfeit RM100 notes and three counterfeit RM20 notes previously used by the syndicate,“ he said.
He added that urine tests on all the suspects had returned positive results for methamphetamine and amphetamine.
All the suspects also had prior criminal records, including offences related to drugs, crime, and commercial crimes. In fact, one of the female suspects is currently facing trial for counterfeit money charges in a court in Selangor.
He said the case is being investigated under Sections 489B, 489C, and 489D of the Penal Code, as well as Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. All the suspects have been remanded for four days until Feb 6 for further investigation.
