BALIK PULAU, Feb 15 ― The police have arrested a man and a woman who are believed to be mule account holders for scam syndicates where two of the victims claimed to have lost RM46,953.

Barat Daya district police chief Supt Kamarul Rizal Jenal said the suspects, both aged 23, were arrested in Padang Serai, and Sungai Petani, Kedah, two days ago.

"Based on the investigation, the woman is believed to be a mule account holder for a syndicate that offered a non-existent online part-time job to a 22-year-old female student, who claimed to have transferred a total of RM31,483 in 20 transactions into a bank account but did not receive any commission as was promised.

"According to the woman suspect, she had given her bank card to an individual she befriended online in June 2022, purportedly to borrow money,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.

As for the other suspect, Kamarul Rizal said he was believed to be a mule account holder for a syndicate that deceived victims in non-existent online investments.

The suspect claimed he had handed over his bank card to an individual he befriended online who wanted to lease his bank account in September last year, he said, adding that a 25-year-old male technician had lodged a report claiming to have lost RM15,470 to the scam.

He said the victim claimed to have transferred the money into a given bank account as an investment to gain profit before realising he had been cheated and making a police report in Balik Pulau.

He said both suspects were on remand for investigation under Section 420 of the Penal Code.

In another development, he said the police arrested 19 men, aged between 24 and 62, for drug-related offences last Tuesday

He said they were arrested at several locations in the state, during which the police also seized some syabu and heroin.

All of them tested positive for drugs, with one of them on the police wanted list and 12 others with previous records for crime and drug-related offences, he added. ― Bernama