Spike in commercial crime cases a worrying trend — State top cop
SIBU: The rise is the number of commercial crimes is quite worrying in that they involve losses of up to millions of ringgit, says Sarawak Police Commissioner Dato Mancha Ata.
In this respect, he lists out fraud, criminal breach of trust, forgery, illegal money-lending and counterfeiting as among those categorised under these cases, which are being investigated by the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID).
“From January to December last year, a total of 2,958 commercial crime cases were recorded in Sarawak, over 2,461 cases recorded in the same period in 2022.
“In January alone this year, a total of 240 reports were received involving losses of RM7,811,623.
“The amount of losses recorded last year was RM117 million while in 2022, the amount was RM65.8 million – an increase of RM51.179 million,” he said in his speech for the closing of a ‘Community Policing’ programme at Kampung Nyabor Malay Union Club (MUC) Hall here yesterday.
Mancha said for Sibu District, a total of 615 commercial crime cases involving losses of RM16.032 million were recorded last year, while in 2022, there were 444 cases with losses totalling RM7.74 million.
“We must always be alert to prevent becoming a victim to cybercrime or commercial crime.
“With Community Policing programme, hopefully it would increase the level of awareness among the public, especially in Sibu District and its surroundings, so they would not fall prey to cybercrime,” said Mancha, adding that the government and the police have provided facilities to prevent commercial crimes such as the establishment of the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) line, 997.
Meanwhile in his speech, Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Sarawak Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee advised the public to cooperate actively with the police in combating various forms of crime including cybercrime.
“The police would not be successful if the community did not cooperate,” he said.
Also present were the deputy commissioner Datuk Ibrahim Darus, Crime Investigation Department Sarawak head SAC Wong Ing Fung, Sarawak Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department chief SAC Lukas Aket, Sibu police chief ACP Zulkipli Suhaili and Sibu Resident Datu Wong Hee Sieng.
From January to December last year, a total of 2,958 commercial crime cases were recorded in Sarawak, over 2,461 cases recorded in the same period in 2022.
Dato Mancha Ata