Latest news with #MuhammadHasbullahAli
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Bukit Aman nabs two over KLIA Haj scam, denies detaining stranded pilgrims
KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — Federal police said today that two individuals were arrested for allegedly masterminding a Haj pilgrimage scam that saw several pilgrims stranded at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department acting director Commissioner Datuk Muhammad Hasbullah Ali also refuted a news article claiming the detention of the aforementioned pilgrim group for using tourist visas to enter Mecca on June 2. 'In the incident which took place, 'Op Haji Terkandas' personnel detected the presence of a pilgrim group at KLIA waiting for someone with the title 'Datuk'. 'This individual was believed to be responsible for handing over their relevant visas for the pilgrimage. However, those visas were never obtained,' he said in a statement here. Subsequently, a couple that had surrendered their passports to two individuals offering free Haj packages lodged a report. This was after their promised flight to Mecca on June 1 failed to materialise and the travel agency did not provide any other flight confirmation as of June 3. The complainants also told the police they were worried their personal details and passports would be misused. 'A total of seven reports have been linked to this agency. No monetary losses were reported as the packages were offered without charge,' he said. Muhammad Hasbullah said the suspects detained were aged 36 and 39.
The Star
05-06-2025
- General
- The Star
Bukit Aman denies detaining stranded Haj pilgrims
PETALING JAYA: Bukit Aman has denied detaining 80 Haji pilgrims who were stranded after using tourist visas to enter Makkah. Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department acting director Comm Datuk Muhammad Hasbullah Ali refuted a news article claiming the detention in a statement on Thursday (June 5). "This is not true," he said. He explained that the group was detected on June 2 and an investigation was conducted to locate the person who promised them the required visas. "On June 2, the 'Op Haji Terkandas' team detected the group at Kuala Lumpur International Airport waiting for someone with the title 'Datuk'. This individual was believed to be responsible for handing over their relevant visas for the pilgrimage. However, those visas were never obtained," he said. Subsequently, a couple that had surrendered their passports to two individuals offering free Haji packages lodged a report. "They were promised a flight to Makkah on June 1. However, by Tuesday (June 3), there was no confirmation from the so-called package was operated by a travel agency registered as a 'pengelola jemaah haji' (Haji pilgrimage manager) in 2025," he said. The complainants told the police they were worried their personal details would be misused. "A total of seven reports have been linked to this agency. No monetary losses were reported as the packages were offered without charge," he said. Two arrests were made on Tuesday; both people are suspected of being the masterminds behind the scam. "The suspects, aged 36 and 39, were remanded until Wednesday (June 4) to assist investigations," he said. It is known that the so-called "Datuk" was arrested and checks are underway to verify the title.
New Straits Times
30-05-2025
- New Straits Times
Bukit Aman: Reduction in Mujamalah visas may see rise in fraudulent haj packages
KUALA LUMPUR: Federal police in Bukit Aman anticipate a surge in fraudulent Haj packages following the government's move to tighten the issuance of Mujamalah visas this season. Commercial Crime Investigation Department Acting Director Datuk Muhammad Hasbullah Ali said his department had received one report related to the scam, resulting in a loss of RM71,000. "This year, the government has reduced the issuance of Mujamalah visas for Malaysians to perform haj. The issuance of permits has subsequently become very strict. "However, we believe that due to this situation, there will be attempts by scammers to offer packages to deceive victims. "This haj season, a victim who wanted to perform the haj filed a report after being cheated," he told reporters here today. Hasbullah said that although the number of victims was decreasing, the number of fraudulent offers for such haj packages was on the rise. In 2023, a total of 11 cases of haj package fraud were recorded, with total losses reaching RM649,631. "Although the number of cases decreased to only four in 2024, the losses were reported to have increased significantly to RM874,100," he said. He said that starting in 2024, a special task force to address the issue of stranded haj pilgrims was established to coordinate investigations, manage documentation, and arrest individuals or company owners suspected of being involved in offering fake haj packages. He said that this effort was carried out with the collaboration of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and Lembaga Tabung Haji. He advised the public to be careful with the offers by checking the registration status of the company or agent.
The Star
02-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Third ‘Tan Sri' nabbed in RM3.5bil MBI scam probe
KUALA LUMPUR: Another 'Tan Sri' has been nabbed over his alleged involvement in the Mobility Beyond Imagination (MBI) investment scam. This brings the total of those detained in the ongoing investigation to 14 people. Sources said the 53-year-old man was detained in Penang at about 2am yesterday after he returned from overseas. 'He arrived from overseas via Kuala Lumpur International Airport and made his way to Penang. 'He is believed to be either the syndicate's proxy or a business partner of the suspects,' sources said. The police are also investigating the possibility of the suspect's involvement in money laundering for the syndicate. 'He is believed to have received profits from the investment scam for money laundering purposes,' sources said. Meanwhile, IGP secretariat's Anti-Money Laundering (Amla) division head Comm Datuk Muhammad Hasbullah Ali confirmed the arrest under Ops Northern Star. 'However, we have not seized any belongings so far. 'We are still investigating the case,' he said. The Star previously reported that two prominent businessmen with Tan Sri titles and a Datuk Seri were already in custody. The arrests of the earlier 13 suspects were made between March 21 and April 21, which has now seen RM3.5bil in assets including a hotel and durian plantations linked to the MBI investment scheme previously seized. Among the assets seized this round were durian plantations in Pahang, Penang and Kedah worth RM223,624,167.75. An additional 299 bank accounts with RM123,614,594.35 were also frozen, he said. All these assets were believed to have been purchased or had links to the proceeds from the scheme's illegal gains. Investigations showed that one of the Tan Sri, a businessman, had been acting as both partner to the investment scam and a proxy to the victims. As of now, no other 'influential figures' such as politicians are on the police radar and others who were being pursued are businessmen, said Comm Muhammad Hasbullah.
