Perak:Police have arrested 13 individuals connected to a syndicate allegedly using Alipay accounts for transferring proceeds from online gambling scams aimed at Chinese nationals.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Perak police chief Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin reported that the suspects, consisting of five Malaysians and eight Myanmar nationals aged between 20 and 44, were detained in two raids on September 28. These individuals are believed to have served as leaders and agents within the syndicate, responsible for account processing.

The syndicate functioned as a payment gateway agent, transferring funds from scams through Alipay accounts. Their method involved using mobile phones for facial scans and offering RM500 to locals for opening accounts with their Malaysian passport details. The operation, believed to have started in mid-July, involved the creation of about 60 accounts using locals' personal data and generated approximately RM2,000 daily through a two percent commission on transactions.

During the raids, police seized 65 mobile phones, a laptop, eight Malaysian passports, 71 SIM cards, and an SUV valued at RM190,000. The investigation continues under Sections 424A and 120(b).

In a separate incident, police are investigating potential secret society involvement in the shooting of a 41-year-old businessman at a Bidor petrol station on September 29. The victim sustained a gunshot wound to the left shoulder and is stable following surgery at Seri Manjung Hospital. Police have interviewed 10 witnesses, including the victim, as part of the ongoing investigation.