KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has seized eight luxury vehicles, estimated to be worth almost RM6 million, belonging to an individual believed to be involved in tobacco, alcohol and cigarette smuggling syndicates.
In a statement earlier, the commission said the vehicles in question, according to a source, consisted of two Lamborghinis, one Lexus, one Mercedes-Benz, one BMW, one Volvo and two Toyotas.
“These vehicles were seized in a special operation around the Klang Valley conducted by the Anti-Money Laundering Division (AML) of MACC since last Monday, in collaboration with the Inland Revenue Board and Bank Negara Malaysia.
“The source revealed that the vehicles were seized from various individuals, including company owners and middlemen who facilitated bribe payments to officials at an enforcement agency,” the graft busters said.
It added that the investigations revealed that this syndicate was engaged in money laundering using “ghost companies” business accounts via money changers and licensed money-lending companies.
“The smuggling activities of this syndicate are believed to have resulted in the leakage of tax revenue estimated at more than RM400 million, along with offering bribes exceeding RM8 million to various individuals, including civil servants, to facilitate their smuggling activities.
“It is believed that this syndicate employed a modus operandi that involved using dummy accounts to carry out bribery transactions with complicit civil servants,” he added.
Meanwhile, the MACC’s AML director, Datuk Mohamad Zamri Zainul Abidin, confirmed the seizure of the eight luxury vehicles in question and said that the arrested individuals were being investigated under Sections 17(a) and 17(b) of the MACC Act 2009. – March 17, 2024