Kuala Lampur:The government is reviewing a proposal to introduce caning as an additional punishment for offences related to the misuse of mule accounts. Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah highlighted the need for this measure to tackle the growing threat of financial fraud syndicates.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Shamsul Anuar stated that the Ministry is prepared to assess existing penalties and analyze their effectiveness and implications within the nation's criminal legal framework. The review will involve engagement with stakeholders, including the Attorney General's Chambers and other relevant ministries and agencies.

This discussion arose during a Special Chamber session at the Dewan Rakyat, in response to a question about the Triumph FX investment fraud case. Dr Shamsul Anuar also disclosed that the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) conducted 100,230 raids on fraud syndicate call centres from 2023 to August, resulting in the arrest of 9,159 individuals.

Of those arrested, actions were taken against various roles within the syndicates, including 36 masterminds and 74 managers. The enforcement also targeted 165 supervisors, 118 financial managers or mule account operators, 132 IT programmers, and 8,409 lower-level operators. In just the first eight months of this year, 3,395 raids led to 3,128 arrests.

Dr Shamsul Anuar emphasized the importance of targeting not only low-level perpetrators but also those who orchestrate and profit from these criminal activities, to dismantle the entire operational chain of fraud syndicates.