Showing posts with label theft. Show all posts

Sunday, December 15, 2024

Jet-set thieves give the slip

Caught in the act: A suspect being detained on a local commercial flight for theft recently. — Courtesy photograph

Mid-air heists see cash, jewellery stolen from unwary passengers

PETALING JAYA: Commercial airlines are becoming a hot spot for jet-setting thieves who orchestrate mid-air heists on unsuspecting passengers.

Two weeks ago, two Chinese nationals were fined a total of RM5,700 by the Balik Pulau Magistrates’ Court for stealing over RM5,500 from two Malaysians during a flight from Penang to Kuala Lumpur.

This incident is the latest in a series of thefts that have occurred onboard commercial airlines recently.

On Oct 26 this year, The Star reported the arrest of a 49-year-old man from mainland China on suspicion of stealing more than HK$4,300 (RM2,430) from two passengers during a flight from Malaysia to Hong Kong.

ALSO READ: 267 inflight missing item reports lodged at KLIA since 2022

Recently, during a flight from Penang to Kuala Lumpur, a male suspect was caught red-handed stealing RM3,000 cash belonging to another passenger.

Apprehended on board, the perpetrator was handed over to the authorities upon landing.

Most of these thefts have gone unreported, as most victims do not realise they have been robbed until long after they have disembarked the aircraft.

On Dec 4, the Hong Kong security chief revealed that thefts on board aircraft bound for Hong Kong almost doubled this year.

According to government data, a total of 169 reports were lodged in the first 10 months of 2024 against 92 recorded in the whole of last year.

What was stolen was mostly cash in various currencies, expensive jewellery, luxury watches and credit cards totalling about HK$4.32mil (RM2.46mil).

A commercial pilot told The Star that these thefts happened quite frequently and were often orchestrated by syndicates.

“These thefts normally occur on Vietnam, Bangkok and China routes, both inbound and outbound,” he said.

“The spate or frequency of these thefts also increases during busy travel periods such as the holiday or festive seasons.”

According to the pilot, the thieves would operate as a team of several individuals, depending on the flight and size of the aircraft.

He said catching them in the act could be difficult, as they would have a game plan.

“First, they would be travelling as separate individuals,” he said.

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“They would also scout potential victims at the boarding gate prior to the flight.”

The crime would normally be perpetrated when the plane was at cruising altitude and once the cabin lights were dimmed for sleeping.

One of the individuals would attempt to retrieve their bag from the overhead compartment and in the process rummage through the belongings of the targeted victim.

Upon making off with the valuables, the person would pass the stolen items to their accomplice at drop-off points such as the aircraft lavatory.

“Because of this, it is difficult to apprehend these criminals,” said the pilot.

“If caught red-handed, they would simply admit that they had mistakenly taken the wrong bag and apologise. If they suspected that the crew had found out that a theft had taken place, they would toss the item away, making it look like the victim had misplaced it.

“In the event that a theft had been confirmed and the suspects were apprehended, the pilot would transmit a message through ACARS (Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System) to the ground station for a security team to investigate and apprehend the suspects.”

For those who have fallen victim to these thefts, the airlines are not considered responsible for the missing valuables or personal belongings.

Those who had travel insurance would also have to provide a police report and a detailed account from the airline to prove and corroborate that the item(s) were indeed stolen during the flight, said an insurance expert.

“Insurers will require solid proof to accept a claim, failing which it will be construed that the loss of the items is due to negligence,” he added.

“If the claim is accepted, the settlement or quantum for the lost items will be based on the policy and coverage.”

Some airlines have already begun taking steps to limit the incidence of in-flight thefts.

This includes making frequent announcements to remind passengers to be mindful of their personal belongings and not to change seats during the flight.

On some flights, cabin lights will be dimmed instead of being turned off to reduce opportunities for theft.

If there are suspected individuals identified by the security team on the ground, a memo will be issued to the crew.

The ground staff will also be instructed to assign these individuals to window seats instead of the aisle seat to restrict their movement.

If there are suspicions that these criminals are on board, the cabin crew will also be instructed to be alert and step up patrols during the flight.

Be a smart tourist

Saturday, June 22, 2024

Millions stolen from bank with insider help; Theft prompts security review

KUALA LUMPUR: The suspects linked to the siphoning of millions from a bank targeted their victims based on insider information, says Bukit Aman.

Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf (pic)said the group stole the money in stages after they had identified high-value account holders.

“The money was taken out via the bank counter and the first one was conducted around April. Several more were done in May and June.

“With inside help, the money was taken out according to bank procedures. The case only came to light after an account holder went to the bank to update details,” he said at a press conference yesterday.

He said it was possible that syndicate members who were working in the bank also directly facilitated the transactions.

Among those caught included a bank manager.

Investigations showed that the mastermind had expertise in forgery and the syndicate members would use forged identifications to take money out of targeted accounts.

“The details would be the same but the photo and thumbprints would be changed,” he said, adding that forged documents were then used to facilitate the money transfers.

Meanwhile, another case has been detected, with losses involving RM551,000.

“This was done at another bank earlier in the year and we are also investigating that case,” he said.

When contacted, Comm Ramli said 13 people, including four bank employees, were detained recently in connection with millions of ringgit that vanished.

Arrests were mostly made in Kota Kinabalu with one suspect caught in Padang Besar, Perlis.

The case is currently being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.

“The involvement of bank personnel in commercial crime is a very serious matter.

“In the past, we have encountered cases where bank personnel were complicit in crimes such as criminal breach of trust or embezzlement.

“There are also those who were in cahoots with theft or scam syndicates,” he said.

Comm Ramli urged financial institutions to improve their security such as tightening procedures or imposing stricter measures in regard to withdrawal from accounts.

“Such measures are necessary to prevent theft or missing funds from customers’ bank accounts.

“We feel that improvements are needed for the sake of the account holders,” he said.

From 2022 to June 15 this year, a total of 485 cases of missing funds from bank accounts have been recorded involving RM35.01mil in losses.

“From the overall statistics, this year alone we recorded RM25.76mil in losses and 65 cases.

“The highest number was 225 cases last year, but it involved only RM4.82mil, followed by 195 cases in 2022 involving RM4.42mil,” he said.

Besides the involvement of “inside men” in financial institutions, Comm Ramli said another factor that could have contributed to the missing funds was disclosure of banking details to a third party.

“Our investigations revealed that some victims might have intentionally or unintentionally revealed details of their online banking username and password,” he said.

Comm Ramli said scammers are known for using the phishing technique to dupe victims via email or text messages.

He advised the public to stay vigilant and be wary of tactics used by scammers.

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Theft prompts security review

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PETALING JAYA: A recent embezzlement case involving bank staff in Kota Kinabalu has sparked calls for tighter security measures in financial institutions.

Universiti Sains Malaysia criminologist Datuk Dr P. Sundramoorthy (pix) said the recent case that saw over a dozen arrested was both concerning and a wake-up call.

“Although the number of wrongdoings and criminal acts by bank employees may be very minimal, it cannot be ignored.

ALSO READ: RM24.2mil fraud: BNM requests prompt refunds to all affected account holders

“The rakyat, investors and the business community depend on the banks to safeguard their money.

“We don’t have a choice in this matter.

“Banks must aggressively play a role in eliminating undesirable employees,” he said, adding that banks need to invest in internal security and loss prevention departments, even if it incurs costs.

“These departments should have the expertise to detect embezzlement, fraud and misconduct by employees,” he said.

“Security investments are assets, not liabilities.”

ALSO READ: Millions stolen from bank with insider help

Drawing comparison with law enforcement bodies, he added that employees at highly sensitive areas should be rotated to avoid any potential for leakages within the bank, even if they are competent in their jobs.

“This is especially important for positions with access to customer accounts,” he said.

Pre-employment screening must also be done for all employees with regular assessments for those in service, he added.

Duties must also be “robustly” segregated, with dual authorisation practices implemented as well.

“That was a substantial amount of money (lost) and I hope measures will be taken.

“Since it was an inside job, the bank must be responsible for covering every single ringgit and sen that was misappropriated.

“Banks must be proactive and they should work together with the victims and law enforcement to ensure such incidents are reported.

“Employee pilferage is not new but it is also not frequent. We must not tolerate it,” he said, adding that harsh penalties and criminal charges must be meted out on those involved.

Such cases, he said, also affects the credibility of the bank involved as customer confidence will drop.

Previously, Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said that four police reports were lodged since early June regarding suspicious transactions, with losses estimated to be around RM24.2mil.

As of June 18, the police have arrested 13 suspects aged between 22 and 52 years old.

Four suspects were found to be employees of the bank.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/06/22/theft-prompts-security-review

BLACK SHEEP IN BANKS, Employees you cannot bank on, Calls for banks to bolster cyberdefences

Weed out the problematic, errant, incompetent officers early

Thursday, March 28, 2024

How the Philippines colludes with US government, think tank and media in 'sadfishing' itself, demonizing China on South China Sea issue

The China Coast Guard expels Philippine vessels which had illegally intruded into waters adjacent to Ren'ai Jiao in China's Nansha Islands, on March 23, 2024. Photo: VCG

The Philippines has been making a show of the South China Sea issue for a long time. It has repeatedly provoked China and created tension in the South China Sea region while turning a blind eye to historical facts. Seemingly suffering from a sort of histrionic personality disorder, the Philippines has not only staged many farces on the issue, but also colluded with anti-China forces in the US-led West to play the thief crying "stop thief."

Last week, during his visit in the Philippines, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly "criticized China's provocative actions" in the South China Sea. Portraying the Philippines as a victim and China as a "perpetrator" has become a common intrigue to win attention and sympathy in the international community.

Supplying to its vessels illegally grounded on China's sovereign islands in the South China Sea is a trick of showmanship that the Philippines has employed in recent months. On Saturday, it sent a supply vessel and two coast guard vessels to intrude into the adjacent waters of China's Ren'ai Jiao (also known as Ren'ai Reef) in disregard of China's strong opposition.

"China's Coast Guard took necessary measures at sea in accordance with the law to safeguard China's rights, firmly obstructed the Philippine vessels, and foiled the Philippines' attempt," Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that same day.

Days earlier, Philippine civil group the Atin Ito coalition said it was planning another mission to the South China Sea with the aim of "delivering aid to fishermen" around China's Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island). According to Philippine media, the group openly claimed to mobilize "a delegation of international observers" to join their mission. It didn't seem to mind making the involvement of Western forces public.

"What it's like on board an outnumbered Philippine ship facing down China's push to dominate the South China Sea (CNN, March 26)," "China coast guard flexes its might against the Philippines in disputed waters as journalists look on (The Economic Times, March 27)"… It's not exaggeration to say that most media stories that smear China on the South China Sea issue, whether by Philippine or Western media, are products of the collusion between the anti-China forces of the Philippines and the US-led West.

The Global Times has looked into some of the various collusion forms, trying to reveal what's behind the current numerous untrue and misleading "media reports" that one-sidedly support the Philippines and attack China.

People protest with signs and placards on Mendiola Street against the visit of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the Philippines in Manila, on March 19, 2024. Photo: VCG

Closely linked Philippine coast guard, 'civil groups,' and US scholars

The Atin Ito coalition disclosed its new "supply mission" plan at an event it held in Manila on March 14. The event gathered senior officers from the Philippine military and government, and representatives from the British, Australian, Dutch, Swedish, and European Union embassies, local media Palawan News reported the following day.

The guest list implied that Atin Ito has never been an ordinary "civil group." Close sources told the Global Times that the group was led by Risa Hontiveros, an anti-China senator who once asserted raising the notorious 2016 South China Sea "arbitration" to the United Nations General Assembly. Last winter, Hontiveros planned a "Christmas supply" mission for Atin Ito, asking the group members to send food and goods to a military vessel "stationed" at Ren'ai Jiao with the help of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

Atin Ito had tried to land on Huangyan Dao and plant the Philippines flag on the island in June 2016. According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, a US scholar Anders Corr was among the group's activists aboard the fishing boat that intruded into the adjacent waters of the island.

All the information has reflected that the so-called "civil groups" resupplying Huangyan Dao and Ren'ai Jiao are "nothing but a farce jointly planned by a few Philippine politicians and military, as well as the anti-China forces in the US-led West," Yang Xiao, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Strategy Studies, China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.

In an article published on March 6, The Associated Press (AP) introduced a PCG strategy of publicizing "aggressive actions" by China in the South China Sea, which aims to "spark international condemnation that has put Beijing under the spotlight." This strategy is known as "offensive transparency."

"We will continue [with the strategy]," PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said in February.

Joining the PCG in 2005, Tarriela allegedly has numerous links with the US. In 2021, he was largely involved in bilateral US-Philippine collaboration, including in the Pacific Forum's US-Philippines' Next Generation Leaders Initiative, a project sponsored by the US Department of State, through the US Embassy in Manila.

According to an article by The Philippine Star in December 2023, Tarriela was considered a representative of the "pro-American faction," and even faced "CIA agent" accusations on social media.

Raymond Powell is another name frequently mentioned in the Philippines' "offensive transparency" strategy.

A retired US colonel, Powell is the founder of the security think tank Project Sealight, and leads the "Project Myoushu" at Stanford University in cooperation with the PCG and some Philippine Foreign Ministry officials.

The main purpose of the project is to support the "offensive transparency" strategy and help create a "victim" image for the Philippines on the South China Sea issue.

A US Air Force C-130 cargo plane comes in for a landing past US marines F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets during the semi-annual Philippine-US military exercise at the airport of the former US naval base in Manila, the Philippines, on July 13, 2023. Photo: VCG

US journalists invited on board

On March 5, two supply vessels and two coast guard vessels from the Philippines, illegally intruded into the adjacent waters of Ren'ai Jiao of China's Nansha Qundao, in an attempt to send materials, including construction materials, to the vessel illegally grounded at Ren'ai Jiao. The China Coast Guard took strict regulatory action to curtail the Philippine vessels' intrusion.

It is worth noting that the Philippines' mission included journalists from CNN, who said they witnessed a "high-stakes confrontation" that day, and wrote features that described their experiences on board in detail.

The CNN reporters wrote it was "the first time foreign journalists have been allowed to embed with the fleet in decades." But in fact, more than 10 years ago, US media reporters had boarded Philippine official vessels, including supply vessels, and wrote distorted media reports based on their first-hand experiences.

Early in 2013, The New York Times reporter Jeff Himmelman had been to the "Sierra Madre" vessel illegally grounded at Ren'ai Jiao for an interview, and later described the confrontation between China and the Philippines at South China Sea as "a game of shark and minnow" in a feature story.

Himmelman revealed that before they arrived they had "already hooked things up" with the local officials and the Filipino Navy.

In recent years, US journalists have been frequently invited on Philippine ships to participate in the PCG's "missions." In 2023 alone, two AP reporters and several other media staffers were invited aboard three PCG vessels that protect supply ships in November. In April 2023 the PCG reportedly invited many journalists, including those from the AP, to join a 1,670-kilometer "patrol."

According to a Chinese correspondent who worked in the Philippines for many years, there is a large number of US journalists in the Philippines. The Philippine authorities maintain close contact with foreign journalists in the country, and therefore, "it is easy for the authorities to seek cooperation from US journalists," said the correspondent who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The PCG's purpose of inviting journalists on board is to deliberately amplify the possible "incidents" through media, and to launch defamation warfare against China, the correspondent told the Global Times. "But I think [directly taking CNN reporters on board the PCG vessels] is excessive, and is even a sort of 'dishonor to the country,'" the correspondent added. "There is resentment within the Philippines, too."

US-funded Philippine media

Searching online media coverage on the South China Sea, one may find that Philippine and US media outlets are particularly close. They quote and forward each other's South China Sea stories, working closely together in attacking China on this topic.

Some of the major Philippine media outlets that are active in reporting on South China Sea include Rappler, VeraFiles, and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.

Having called themselves "independent", these media outlets turn out to be are reportedly funded by the CIA and the US' infamous National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

In 2019, journalists from the aforementioned three media outlets were accused of receiving payments from the CIA, "a potential criminal offense under local law." The accusations claimed that the CIA uses the NED to channel funds, and the three media outlets "receive substantial grants from the NED," said the organization Committee to Protect Journalists in May that year.

VeraFiles, for instance, started receiving funds from the NED since 2016.

The NED website shows that, so far VeraFiles has got five batches of money from this US government-backed foundation, totally $350,600. It's far from a small amount for a media outlet without full-time reporters (only three editors and two web technicians). But VeraFiles has never disclosed how it spent the money.

Obviously, the Philippines has deeply colluded with the US government, think tanks, and media from top to bottom in "sadfishing" itself and demonizing China on the South China Sea issue. Worse still, such a nasty trick by the Philippines may become normal and diversified in the future, said Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies.

In response to the slander, Chen suggested China fight back with strong facts including on-site images, videos, and objective data. "We should make it clear to the international community what China's claims are in the South China Sea," Chen told the Global Times. "Do not let the US and the Philippines skew international public opinion."

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Global Times

@globaltimesnews

11h

The #Philippines has no quarrel with #China, and it’s the US that is trying to push for a war, former Philippine President Duterte warned, adding that Americans won’t die for Filipinos.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1780100575222435991

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