Dang Wangi police chief Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman said the arrests of the four men and one woman followed two recent cases of tourists being approached and asked to show their foreign currencies to the suspects.
Previously, 12 other cases had also been reported, with some occurring last year.
“(The suspects) would usually target those who are alone and avoid areas with CCTV coverage. They would approach the tourists and start chatting with them to get them to lower their guard,” he said at a press conference here.
He said the first case occurred near Masjid Negara where a tourist was approached by a foreign couple to help take their picture.
The suspects then asked the tourist to show them some of her foreign currencies, which they took for a closer look before returning the money to her.
The victim later realised that about US$600 in her handbag had gone missing, and suspected that the couple had stolen the money.
The victim lodged a police report on July 18, leading to the arrest of three men and one woman, all foreigners, around Jalan Sultan Ismail in Kuala Lumpur.
“Police seized foreign currencies from countries in Europe, South Asia, Middle East, Central Asia and Southeast Asia, estimated to be worth RM16,998.16,” Sulizmie added.
The second case occurred in Jalan Bukit Bintang on July 24, with four foreign men asking a male tourist to show them his foreign currencies. The victim lost around US$500 and RM650.
A police operation was conducted on the same day which led to the arrest of a foreigner in his 20s in Bukit Bintang. Police seized various foreign currencies worth about RM350.
Sulizmie said all five suspects claimed to have lost their passports. He said they had entered the country illegally through the Bukit Kayu Hitam entry point in Kedah.
The suspects were remanded for four days and then detained for a further 14 days under the Immigration Act 1959/63.
“We advise the public, tourists and locals alike, to exercise caution (when approached by strangers) to avoid becoming victims of such ploys,” he said.