Five Magic Gang Suspects Nabbed For Tricking Foreign Tourists

KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 (Bernama) – Police have arrested five foreigners believed to be members of a ‘magic gang’ on suspicion of being involved in stealing money of foreign tourists with their slick hand tricks in the city centre.

Dang Wangi district police chief ACP Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman said all the suspects from Middle Eastern countries were arrested in two separate raids on July 22 and 24 around Kuala Lumpur.

“In the first raid, police arrested three men and a woman aged 20 to 50 around Jalan Sultan Ismail and seized currencies from various countries such as Europe, South Asia, the Middle East, Central Asia and Southeast Asia worth more than RM16,000.

“In the second raid on Jalan Bukit Bintang, a foreign man in his 20s was arrested and more than RM360 in cash was seized,” he said in a press conference here, today.

He said that investigations found that the group’s modus operandi was to pretend to be interested in seeing the victim’s currency.

Sulizmie Affendy said when the money was in the suspect’s hands, the suspect then used his skills to take some of the money without the victim noticing while the rest was returned to the victim.

He said the suspects in the first raid were remanded for four days under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code from July 23 to 26 and was extended 14 days under the Immigration Act 1959/63 starting July 27 to August 9.

The suspect in the second raid was remanded for four days under Section 117 of the Immigration Act starting July 25 to July 28 and was extended for 14 days according to the Immigration Act 1959/63 starting July 29 to August 11, he said.

“Investigations found that all the suspects had been in this country since September 2024 and claimed to have entered Malaysia via Bukit Kayu Hitam, but had lost their passports.

The investigation is being conducted according to Section 379 of the Penal Code.

Meanwhile, Sulizmie Affendy said more than 50 police reports had been received regarding cases using such tactics since last year and his party would continue to enforce to ensure the safety of foreign tourists in Kuala Lumpur.

– BERNAMA