Bukit Aman commercial crime investigation department director Rusdi Isa said three men were arrested after they were seen acting suspiciously in front of a bank in Subang Jaya on Aug 8.

He said subsequent checks at the premises where the men lived and worked in Subang Jaya led to the arrest of two more individuals.

“An investigation has revealed that the individuals were working as ‘collectors’ and ‘runners’, tasked with withdrawing money from ATM cards for a loan shark syndicate,” he told a press conference today.

Rusdi said a search of the premises uncovered the ATM cards, RM119,997 in cash, 14 mobile phones, as well as loan contracts and documents containing personal details of individuals.

He said those arrested were paid monthly wages of between RM2,500 and RM3,500 to withdraw cash using the ATM cards, and had been working with the syndicate for periods ranging from six months to two years.

“They received instructions from their supervisors through the Telegram application. Each withdrawal ranged from RM5,000 to RM8,000, after which the money was packaged and sent to a designated address through a delivery service company,” he said.

He also said all the suspects, aged between 26 and 36, were released on police bail on Aug 12.

Police are working to trace the owners of the ATM cards as well as the masterminds behind the unlicensed moneylending syndicate.