MACC chief Azam Baki said the system, which has been widely used abroad, allows the agency to analyse the whereabouts of suspects and additional information required before further investigations are carried out.
“Our officers no longer need to conduct field surveillance of suspects, which is time-consuming,” he told Bernama in an interview to mark MACC’s 57th anniversary.
“We have streamlined our intelligence and investigation methods.
“Five years ago, we relied heavily on field intelligence officers, but now, we use our current system to analyse and track subjects or suspects.”
He said the technology enables investigations and intelligence gathering to be conducted more efficiently, which has indirectly led to an increase in convictions.
Azam said MACC is training its officers to detect the use of cryptocurrency to conceal illicit funds, noting that the platform has become increasingly popular among criminals.
He also said MACC has formed a tactical team to ensure the safety of its personnel during operations in high-risk and dangerous areas.
The team comprises 20 officers equipped with the latest weapons and are trained by VAT 69 commandos in Perak.
He revealed that MACC received 30,483 tip-offs from 2020 to 2024, with 17,892 cases, or 58%, involving civil servants.
During this period, it initiated 2,123 investigations and detained 2,046 civil servants, of whom 1,036 were charged in court and 464 convicted.
The offences included 1,124 cases of accepting bribes, 445 cases of making false claims, 19 cases of offering bribes, 320 cases of abuse of power, 57 cases of money laundering, 153 cases under the Penal Code, and five cases under other laws.
Azam said MACC is placing greater emphasis on investigating public interest cases, particularly those involving civil servants or enforcement personnel.
He also said Malaysia lost about RM277 billion to corruption over the past five years, including about RM30 billion lost to the black market because of criminal activities such as smuggling and gambling.
He said enforcement agencies must make a concerted effort to recover these funds.
“Together with the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN), we have successfully recovered RM500 million this year to be returned to the government,” he said.
“If more enforcement agencies work together, we can recover even more funds lost to criminal activities.”