Commercial crime cases 1,340 last year, 1,777 in 2018

KUCHING: There was a decrease in the number commercial crime cases reported in the whole of last year compared to the number in 2018.

Sarawak Commercial Crime Investigation Department said 1,340 cases were recorded last year compared to 1,777 cases in 2018, a decrease of 437 cases or 45 per cent.

The department’s deputy chief DSP Maria Rasid said commercial crime loss, however, was higher last year compared to 2018.

“Loss of RM120 million was recorded in 2019. In 2018 the total loss was only RM70 million, an increase of RM42 million or 54 percent,” she said when presenting the department’s success and achievement synopsis at the General Operation Force (GOF) Brigade here yesterday.

Criminal breach of trust incurred the most losses last year to the tune of RM22 million through 223 cases.

This was followed by the Macau scam with 140 cases, resulting in total loss of RM13 million.

There were 64 cases of investment fraud with total losses of RM7 million.

Love Scam (African scam/Parcel scam) saw 84 cases, with total loss of RM4 million.

Fraud on loan that never exist registered 210 cases with total loss of RM2 million while online purchase fraud saw 71 cases with total loss of RM1 Million.

Maria said the department’s ongoing efforts to curb commercial crime in the state have resulted in 574 arrests last year.

She said a total of 695 people (including cases from the previous year) have been charged in the Criminal Court, involving 620 investigative papers while the total number of charges were 1,965.