KUALA LUMPUR: Charitable donations to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are among the ways criminal syndicates are laundering proceeds from their illicit activities.
"The syndicates would make a donation to the NGOs and the money would be channeled back to the syndicates," said police Anti-Money Laundering Criminal Investigation Division head Datuk Mohammed Hasbullah Ali.
The syndicates, which include those involved in illegal gambling, drugs, smuggling, and extortion, would pay a commission to NGOs for their assistance.
He said the syndicates would also use NGOs to recruit people to carry out criminal activities.
"At the same time, the NGOs also try to collect donations from the public," he said.
However, these funds are not channeled to those in need but are used by the people running the NGOs for their benefit.
"There are also NGOs that take advantage of the public by collecting money for their services and they will use this money to expand their organisation."
