KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 — Police have uncovered a syndicate operating a ‘get-rich-quick’ scheme following the detention of 59 people and seizure of 18 luxury cars during a raid on an apartment in Petaling Jaya, last night.

The syndicate, which requires its investors to put in as much as RM41,000 each, deceived members of the public by using various luxury cars as ‘bait’.

Principal Assistant Director (Operations) of the Commercial Crime Investigation Department, Bukit Aman, ACP Rohaimi Md Isa, said the syndicate’s  activities were uncovered when police launched an operation codenamed  “Operasi Serama” which was participated by 82 members including the Selangor Commercial CID and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumerism.

He said police, who raided a meeting of the syndicate members at a restaurant in an apartment, detained 50 men and nine women aged between 20 and 30 who were higher level or upline members in the pyramid system.

“In the raid at about 11pm, police also seized 18 luxury cars including Mercedes Benz, Fair Lady, BMW and Mazda models which were used as bait to attract members of the public to join the scheme,” he told Bernama.

Rohaimi said the syndicate had been active for the past two years, targeting the young who had just joined the government service to participate in the scheme.

He said all the 59 members of the syndicate were being remanded until Friday to assist in investigation under Section 420 of the Penal Code. — Bernama