PUTRAJAYA: Ten civil servants, including a woman, have been remanded for four days, starting Wednesday (March 20), on suspicion of accepting over RM3 million in bribes from a tobacco, cigarette and alcohol smuggling syndicate.

       Magistrate Irza Zulaikha Rohanuddin, at the Putrajaya Magistrate's Court, granted the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)'s application for remand, ordering all individuals to remain in custody until Saturday (March 23).

       According to a source, these individuals, aged between 30 and 50 years old, were apprehended along with five others during Ops Samba 2.0 at the MACC Headquarters while giving their statement on Tuesday (March 19)afternoon.

       "The arrests were conducted by MACC's Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Division in collaboration with the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) since March 18.

       Playback speed

       1x Normal

       Quality

       Auto

       Back

       360p

       Auto

       Back

       0.25x

       0.5x

       1x Normal

       1.5x

       2x

       /

       "All suspects are believed to have received over RM2million in bribes from the syndicate to facilitate the smuggling of chewing tobacco, cigarettes, alcohol and various other items between 2017 and 2023," the source added.

       Following the arrests, MACC AML also confiscated mobile phones and froze the bank accounts of all suspects.

       Previously, the AML division apprehended 11 individuals, including five civil servants and a person with the Datuk title, who was also remanded to assist in the investigation.

       StarPicks

       SHAPING THE FUTURE AT MMU

       It is understood that the modus operandi of the syndicate includes using forwarding agents as intermediaries for payments to enforcement officers to "smoothen" the process of smuggling alcohol, cigarettes, tobacco, and other items without going through the declaration and inspection procedures.

       The syndicate is also believed to be using mule accounts to conduct bribe payments to colluding civil servants.

       Additionally, the syndicate is implicated in money laundering activities by laundering money using ghost company business accounts, through money changers and licenced money lending companies.

       MACC AML director Datuk Mohamad Zamri Zainul Abidin when contacted confirmed the remand of the 10 individuals and that the case was investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009.

       Meanwhile, five other individuals who were also detained were released on MACC bail. - Bernama