Cops on money trail of legitimate businesses helping launder drug money
Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said there is a trend of drug syndicates using legitimate businesses to launder money.
"This was discovered in several past arrests," he said in an interview with Harian Metro's Kafe Ahad.
"We use a money trail approach to ensure the assets seized in drug busts can be traced, forfeited, and disposed of under existing legal provisions."
On the NCID's plans to seek to close loopholes exploited by syndicates using legitimate businesses as a front, Hussein said there were several proposals.
These included stringent business licence screening through background checks of company owners and the monitoring of financial transactions with the help of Bank Negara Malaysia and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to detect suspicious money flows.
The police are also looking into the closer monitoring of e-commerce platforms and greater information sharing between the NCID and other enforcement agencies.
On the issue of cross-border drug smuggling at the Malaysia-Thai border, Hussein said the NCID will step up efforts to dismantle syndicate networks, including at the grassroots level.
This measure covers arrests under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act and asset forfeitures.
"We aim to cripple the syndicates financially through the seizure of property, assets, and cash."
Hussein, the former Selangor police chief, took over as federal NCID director on July 21.
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