MELAKA: An internet romance between two men took an unexpected turn when Melaka police managed to arrest six Nigerian suspects who were high on the police's wanted list for their alleged involvement in a parcel scam syndicate.

       Melaka police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Wira Abdul Majid Mohd Ali said that the police acted on the report lodged by a 42-year-old local businessman on Nov 20 before arresting all six foreigners aged between 35 to 40 years at premises in Puchong, Selangor on Dec 30.

       "This was the first time my men had probed such a scam involving an online fraud involving a romance between two men,” he said

       "The victim was enticed with amorous messages and was willing to transfer RM117,750 into six bank accounts through various transactions," added DCP Abdul Majid on Wednesday (Jan 5).

       DCP Abdul Majid said the victim was promised expensive gifts and cash worth USD79,000 by the scammer.

       He said the modus operandi employed in parcel scams were often similar where the victims were promised with gifts and cash where later the scammer would claim that victims have to pay for Customs and tax purposes.

       "The conman will claim that the parcels sent via courier service can't reach the victim as he needs to pay the taxes," he said.

       DCP Abdul Majid in the latest case, the investigation team led by Melaka Commercial Crime chief Supt E.Sundra Rajan made a breakthrough when they managed to arrest the syndicate members.

       He said that three of those arrested were women and added that the syndicate had been operating in the country for the past five years.

       "All the suspects had no travel documents and we are investigating how they entered the country in the first place," he said.

       DCP Abdul Majid said the syndicate members also used the bank accounts of locals to dupe their victims.

       "We are now probing the locals who had given their bank accounts to be used by the fraudsters to dupe their victims. The locals are believed to have been paid a commission to let their bank accounts be used for cheating purposes," he said.

       DCP Abdul Majid said 77 reports on parcel scams were registered in the state last year, involving losses totalling RM2.4mil.