Police have arrested 12 people, including seven Chinese women, believed to be involved in a syndicate allegedly using fortune-telling, traditional treatment and ritual services to scam victims of about RM600,000.
Sabah deputy police chief Datuk Mohd Azhar Hamin said the suspects, comprising 10 women and two men, were believed to have been operating the scheme since early this year.
He said the syndicate allegedly targeted victims by offering traditional medicine, treatment for illnesses and rituals purportedly intended to remove bad luck.
The arrests were made during a series of raids in Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Keningau and Kota Belud last Saturday and Sunday. The operations were carried out by the Sabah Commercial Crime Investigation Department with assistance from district-level commercial crime teams.
Mohd Azhar said four suspects were arrested during raids in Kota Kinabalu and Keningau on Saturday, while another eight, including seven Chinese women, were detained in Kota Belud the following day.
He said the suspects would allegedly approach potential victims before introducing another woman who claimed to possess fortune-telling or traditional healing abilities, or who could perform rituals to remove misfortune.
Victims were then allegedly persuaded to hand over cash or jewellery, supposedly for prayers, incantations or other rituals.
“The money or jewellery would then be taken away or replaced with other items placed inside a plastic bag or another bag,” he said.
Mohd Azhar said victims were usually instructed not to open the bags for a specific period, a tactic allegedly used to give the suspects enough time to leave the area before the victims discovered they had been deceived.
Police believe the syndicate may be connected to at least five or six reported cases in Kota Kinabalu, Penampang and Sandakan since the beginning of the year, with losses estimated at around RM600,000.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, as police continue efforts to determine the syndicate’s full involvement and identify other possible victims.
