2 Malaysian cops arrested after allegedly extorting RM2,000 from man at JB checkpoint

Two Malaysian police officers were arrested on Friday (April 5) for allegedly extorting money from a man in Johor Bahru, The Star reported.

The pair detained a 29-year-old man at the Sultan Iskandar Building on Tuesday, claiming that he had a criminal record.

After confiscating his passport and mobile phone, they told the man that he had to pay them RM2,000 (S$570) to avoid being arrested.

According to China Press, one of the officers drove the victim on a motorbike to four ATMs to withdraw the money.

The victim, however, only managed to withdraw RM1,000.

In a bid to escape, the man faked an asthma attack and fell to the ground. When a passing motorcyclist offered help, he was driven away by the cop.

The victim continued to feign illness at another location, attracting the attention of a couple who called for an ambulance to take him home.

Realising his actions were about to be exposed, the police officer dropped the man's belongings to the floor and left the scene.

According to Johor police chief Comm M. Kumar, the victim lodged a report on Friday.

"The initial investigation found that the victim was going through immigration clearance at the BSI when the two suspects detained him, claiming he had a criminal record," he said.

"The suspects extorted RM2,000 from the victim to avoid being arrested and detained at the police lock-up."

The suspects, aged 32 and 33, were arrested on the same day and remain in remand to assist with investigations.

The Johor police chief said: "Strict action without compromise will be taken against any police officer and personnel who commit a crime based on the principle of equality under the law under Article 8 of the federal Constitution".

Johor police are committed to fighting integrity issues and criminal misconduct among police officers and personnel so as to increase public confidence in the force, he added.

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crystal.tan@asiaone.com

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