Serdang police chief AA Anbalagan said the 41-year-old victim had become acquainted with one of the suspects via the app last Wednesday, and agreed to meet him at the suspect’s rented home in Seri Kembangan on Sunday.

“At around 7.30pm, the complainant went to the house. He used the washroom, and later exited the washroom to find two other men in the house with them.

“The three men bound the complainant’s hands and feet and ordered him to do what they said.

“One of the suspects beat him with a piece of wood, while another took his mobile phone and transferred RM67,000 into a bank account belonging to the suspect’s friend,” he said.

Anbalagan said the men warned the victim not to make a police report, then released him and told him to go home.

He said acting on information, a police team from the Serdang criminal investigation department later arrested the five men, including the owner of the bank account.

“All the suspects are private university students aged between 18 and 22 years old. All their urine tests came back negative (for drug use),” he said.

Anbalagan said four of the suspects are being remanded until Friday, while one of them has been released on police bail.

He said the case is being investigated under Sections 395 and 397 of the Penal Code for unarmed gang robbery, and Section 36 of the Arms Act 1960 for possessing imitation firearms.

For the first offence, they can be jailed for up to 20 years and whipped if convicted, and jailed for up to a year, fined no more than RM5,000 or both if convicted of the second offence.

Anbalagan said the case is also being investigated under Section 292 of the Penal Code for possession of obscene videos and images, which provides for up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine or both if convicted.

He said there have been three other cases using the same modus operandi, in which victims were lured via social media into meeting at locations set by the suspects.