PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has identified a number of people within enforcement agencies who were suspected of having 'protected' an international scam syndicate.
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki, however, declined to divulge further details when asked whether these officials were from the police or local authorities.
"We believe that there are officials from enforcement agencies that have been bribed.
"I cannot reveal (more) but there are certain authorities that protect their activities.
"We don't know the form of protection but (the protection is needed) because the syndicate members are foreigners who came to operate here.
"But we have seen certain names who are suspected to be involved in their activities," he said in a press conference at the commission's headquarters today.
Also present were MACC's Anti-Money Laundering division director Datuk Mohamad Zamri Zainul Abidin and Immigration Department's Intelligence and Special Operations director Basri Othman.
Azam said a few of the syndicate's masterminds have had their names red flagged by the United Kingdom's National Crime Agency for their involvement in scam activities.
Azam was also asked why its operation on Tuesday against the syndicate did not involve the police.
He replied that as the Immigration Department had also provided its Pastak (special tactical team) unit for the raid given that the operation involved foreigners, MACC felt that it was sufficient.
Meanwhile, Immigration director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud, who was also present, said the syndicate had been on their radar since November last year.
He said the movement of the foreigners, who are the syndicate masterminds, was detected following the frequency of their travels in and out of Malaysia.
MACC on Tuesday smashed an international investment scam syndicate, which had raked in a whopping RM200 million from victims in Australia and the United Kingdom.
The graft-busters' covert operation, code named Op Tropicana, was held simultaneously at 24 premises in Klang Valley and Penang.
MACC said the syndicate had bribed the authorities to enable their operations to continue unhindered since 2019.
It was reported that the syndicate had lured victims to park money in non-existent investment portfolios.
A total of 74 bank accounts belonging to individuals and companies have since been frozen, with an estimated value of RM11 million.