KUALA LUMPUR: The police have busted a pornographic website syndicate with the arrest of four Chinese nationals, including a woman in Jalan Tun Razak here last Wednesday.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said all the suspects are aged from 28 to 42 and were arrested through a raid by a team from the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) on two upscale residences around Jalan Tun Razak at 2.45 pm.
"The raid was carried out based on information about the activities of a fraudulent online call centre, but an analysis by experts found that this newly active syndicate carries out promotional activities, as well as owns and manages the marketing of pornographic websites that target Chinese citizens.
"Investigations have so far found that they do not produce pornographic videos in this country but only act as ‘administrators’,” he said at the CCID office here on Monday (June 10).
Ramli said the initial investigation found that the residences were only used as a location to manage the website.
He said police also seized six laptops, 18 mobile phones, four passports, internet equipment and RM3,901 in cash.
He said all the suspects were remanded for 14 days to assist the investigation under Section 292 of the Penal Code and the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Meanwhile, Ramli said police detected a video recording on a social site showing an interview of an influential personality at an international forum believed to be altered using Artificial Intelligence technology.
"The recording also includes a link to an investment scheme said to be reliable and give good returns.
"What is worrying, the content of the video looks very convincing in which the character used to mimic a real individual, was very realistic in tone of voice, speech style and lip movements,” he said.
Following that, he reminded the public to be aware of the development of (AI) technology that can be misused to mislead the public.
In a separate case, police identified six bank accounts believed to be used by an investment fraud syndicate based on buying and selling goods online, which scammed national mixed doubles player Lai Pei Jing.
"So far, the investigation has identified six bank accounts used by the fraudsters. Cooperation with the banking institutions involved is being sought to obtain details of accounts and related financial transactions,” he said on the case being investigated in accordance with Section 420 of the Penal Code (for cheating).
On June 3, media reported national professional mixed doubles player Lai Pei Jing fell victim to a fraud syndicate that usurped almost all her savings.
The same fate had befallen former national men's doubles shuttler Tan Boon Heong, who revealed that he lost almost RM2.5 million to a fraud syndicate. - Bernama
