Five Nigerian students and two local women believed to be involved in an internet fraud amounting to RM2.4 million were detained during raids in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

The students, aged between 20 and 30, studying ironically Information Technology courses in a leading private college in Kuala Lumpur, were detained at several condominiums in Petaling Jaya, Cyberjaya, Damansara and Kuala Lumpur on June 30.

The police also detained two local women, aged 40 and 55, who are the owners of the accounts used by the syndicate.

Also seized were five laptops, 20 hand phones, ATM cards, SIM cards and documents believed to have been used to trick their victims.

Azmi said police launched ‘Ops Merpati’ after receiving a report from the owner of an ice producing factory owner in George Town who claimed he had been cheated by the syndicate.

The 62-year-old victim said he had received an e-mail from the syndicate in March, informing him that he was among 50 recipients selected to receive RM15.9 million from the government of the United States.

“The e-mail requested the victim to follow certain procedures to ensure he did not miss the opportunity. Convinced by the contents of the e-mail, the victim carried out 51 transactions involving money, to accounts numbers given by the syndicate before realising it was a scam. He later lodged a police report,” he said.

Azmi said initial investigations revealed that the syndicate had conned several victims to a tune of RM2.4 million.

Police have also found transactions involving up to RM1 million that were banked in from a neigbouring country.

Ada Igboanugo