Twelve Malaysian police officers have been arrested for allegedly extorting approximately $51,000 in cryptocurrency from foreign nationals. The arrests followed a complaint by Chinese men who said officers seized their devices during a midnight raid and forced a transfer. Selangor police chief Shazeli Kahar confirmed the officers are assisting a criminal investigation and stated they will not be protected.
Twelve police officers in Malaysia were arrested for allegedly forcing foreign nationals to transfer about $51,000 in cryptocurrency. The arrests came after a group of Chinese men complained they lost the funds during a police raid.
The victims said the crypto extortion occurred during a midnight raid on a bungalow in Kajang, Selangor. Officers allegedly seized phones and laptops and coerced one victim into transferring all his cryptocurrency to a specific account.
The men, aged between 25 and 45, described the event as a robbery by those meant to protect the public. The case is now being treated as a serious criminal investigation.
Selangor police chief Shazeli Kahar confirmed the arrested officers are assisting the investigation. He emphasized that police “will not shield any member involved in criminal activity,” and immediate action was taken to show such behavior is unacceptable.
The arrests follow a recent warning from Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar about corruption in government agencies. The king stated he has intelligence on individuals engaged in corrupt practices and is closely monitoring them.
