MELAKA: A begging syndicate has been exposed for using the name of a religious school to collect up to RM500 per day in and around Ramadan bazaars here.
The ruse was uncovered through Op Pengemis, a coordinated operation between the Melaka Police Contingent, the Welfare Department, and local authorities.
The syndicate members disguised themselves as representatives collecting donations to build a religious school in Southern Thailand.
Melaka Police Chief Datuk Zainol Samah said that the operation was carried out based on information and intelligence gathered from members of the public, as well as news that went viral about begging activities involving foreigners not only in Ramadan bazaars but also in popular shopping malls and supermarkets across the state.
Zainol said that since the operation began on Tuesday, three male Thai nationals and a local man aged between 33 and 46 have been detained on suspicion of being involved in begging activities.
"Initial investigations revealed that the 35-year-old local man is the main culprit who brought in the foreigners to Melaka using his own vehicle to carry out begging activities.
"He also managed accommodation for all the beggars at a hotel on Jalan Tun Perak.
"Further investigations revealed that the syndicate was able to collect up to RM500 per day, targeting Ramadan bazaars and other locations around Melaka," he said.
"The money collected was not used to build a religious school and the group was operating without permission or approval," he added.
Zainol said in addition to the arrests, authorities confiscated RM736 in cash and documents used to deceive members of the public.
"All of them are currently being detained to assist in investigations under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007."
