Twelve police officers in Malaysia have been arrested for crypto extortion of two foreign nationals.
The arrests came after a group of Chinese men complained that they lost about 200,000 ringgit (roughly US$51,000) during a police raid.
The victims say the officers took their phones and laptops and then forced one of them to transfer all their cryptocurrency to a particular account.
According to the victims, the crypto extortion happened during a midnight raid on a bungalow in Kajang, Selangor, one of the country’s wealthiest states.
The officers stormed into the house unexpectedly, leaving the victims shocked and powerless to resist. The men were aged between 25 and 45 and were staying together when the police arrived.
Once they managed to get inside, the officers allegedly confiscated their electronic devices, which included their phones and laptops, and used them to coerce one victim into transferring his cryptocurrency.
The victims described the event as a robbery carried out by those who were supposed to protect the public. Currently the case is being treated as a serious criminal investigation.
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Police Response to the Crypto Extortion Charges
Selangor police chief, Shazeli Kahar, has confirmed that the arrested officers are assisting with the crypto extortion investigation. He emphasized that the police will not shield any member involved in criminal activity.
The chief also said that immediate action has been taken in order to show the public that such behaviors are not unacceptable and that law enforcement is accountable for its actions.
The arrests come shortly after Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar issued a strong warning about corruption in government agencies, including the police, immigration, customs, and even the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
The king stressed that he has intelligence on individuals engaged in corrupt practices and is closely monitoring them, and the tolerance for these kinds of abuses of power is running out.
Source: scmp.com
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