KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 — Police have arrested a man suspected of masterminding a syndicate involved in the fraudulent withdrawal of RM24.2 million from several fixed deposit accounts.

The arrest of the man in his 40s in Sabah on Friday followed the detention of a woman who was an employee of a bank in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, on June 13.

Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (JSJK) director Datuk Seri Mohamed Ramli Yoosuf said the man was believed to be directly involved in the case.

"To date, we have arrested two individuals and believe more people are involved in this criminal syndicate which has led to the unauthorised withdrawal of money from fixed deposit accounts,” he said when contacted.

Yesterday, Ramli was reported as saying that investigations had revealed the involvement of syndicate members from within and outside the bank, who colluded in facilitating the unauthorised withdrawals.

He mentioned that the police received four reports from account holders and bank staff in early June in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, after the victims noticed suspicious cash withdrawals from their fixed deposit accounts made in Kota Kinabalu.

The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code, and the authorities are working to track down other individuals involved. — Bernama