GEORGE TOWN, Malaysia: Police here have warned the public to beware of a syndicate of Mandarin-speaking "healers" from China who are cheating people of their money.

State police chief Datuk Ayub Yaakub said police in Nibong Tebal had arrested seven Chinese nationals and two Malaysians on May 14 and 18 for cheating people seeking to be healed.

"The first arrest which saw four Chinese nationals and a local woman from Selangor detained, resulted from a tip-off by a victim conned of more than RM36,000 (S$14,896.80).

"The victim saw and recognised one of the group members and immediately informed a police team on patrol at the Taman Berjaya public market in Nibong Tebal," he said at the state police headquarters in Jalan Penang yesterday.

Ayub said the second arrest, involving three Chinese nationals and a man from Kuala Lumpur, was made by another police team at the same place.
"The modus operandi of the two groups were the same.

"The members would approach their victims, asking if they knew a particular person.

"They would then tell the victim they were healers who wanted to cure the person of an illness, and that they could do the same for him or her.

"The moment the victim agreed, he or she would fall under their 'spell' and take them home."

Ayub said the victim would then give the "healers" cash and jewellery, and even would withdraw money from the bank for them.

He also said the two groups each hired a local guide to drive them around for RM200 a day.

"The first group admitted to committing three cases which all occurred this month in Kuala Lumpur, Seberang Prai Tengah and Seberang Prai Selatan.

"The total amount they conned out of their victims was RM56,285.18 in cash and RM57,000 worth of jewellery."

Ayub added that police had seized a Toyota Unser the group was driving when they were arrested, along with several bottles and boxes of pills, a bottle and can of an unidentified powder, a notebook with names of places in Malaysia, and maps of Perak and Penang, which were later found by the police in a hotel in Butterworth.

In the second arrest, a Hyundai Sonata was seized.

Ayub warned members of the public to be wary of anyone claiming to be able to heal them. Last year alone, there were 216 such cases, with losses amounting to RM6.4 million. -NST