Cops bust ring intercepting cheques and credit cards
KUALA LUMPUR: For the past three months, a syndicate has been intercepting cheques and credit cards from mail boxes in condominiums and apartments.
Known as “Gang Ah Chong”, the syndicate’s members alter the cheques or use the credit cards to purchase items online before selling them for cash.
The police, in the course of their investigations, detected that the amount on one of the stolen cheques was altered to RM280,000 before it was used to buy four luxury watches.
On Nov 4, the syndicate was finally busted with the arrest of five suspects, including the mastermind and a woman.
City police chief Comm Datuk Mazlan Lazim said the gang would intercept cheques or credit cards mailed to residents in the Klang Valley.
“The amount and payee name written on the cheques are altered and the credit cards used to purchase products online.
“These items such as cellphones will be sold to third parties for cash,” he said after witnessing the handing over of duties to new Cheras OCPD Asst Comm Abdul Ghani Mohamad Ji from ACP Chong Kok Sin yesterday.
Comm Mazlan said the suspects, in their 30s and 40s, were arrested at about 7pm at a condominium in Jalan Ampang here.
He said police also seized several fake MyKads, handphones, laptops, debit cards, credit cards and cheques from various banks, cheque deposit slips, RM155 in cash, as well as tools used to alter the cheques.
Comm Mazlan said background checks showed that the 39-year-old mastermind was wanted by police to assist in three cases.
“The fugitive has escaped from a restriction order under Section 15 of the Prevention of Crime Act in Terengganu.
“We believe the syndicate has been active since August,” he said, adding that it was behind at least 15 cases in the city with losses estimated at RM500,000.
He said police are still identifying the owners of the cheques and credit cards seized from the suspects.
The case will be investigated under Section 419 of the Penal Code for cheating by personation.