2 Malaysian cops arrested again after allegedly extorting RM1,000 from another traveller at JB checkpoint

After reading reports of travellers being extorted by policemen at the Johor Bahru checkpoint, one Malaysian traveller mustered up the courage to report his own experience.

Wu Zhiwen (transliteration), 50, who works in Singapore, lodged a police report on Friday (April 19) and held a press conference the same day.

The factory operator alleged that the duo had extorted RM1,000 (S$285) from him at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) on Jan 4 this year at 8.40pm, The Star reported.

The police report made by Wu led to the arrest of two policemen — the same cops who were arrested previously for a similar offence, reported Malaysian media on Saturday.

Wu also claimed that the two men were not dressed in uniform at the time, but identified themselves as police officers.

According to Shin Min Daily News, Wu was heading back to JB when he was stopped by the duo at the CIQ. The duo checked his phone and accused him of publishing pornographic material on his social media account.

Wu said that he was subsequently taken into a room with the police logo at the door, where the three of them stayed for an hour. His passport and mobile phone were also taken away.

The duo then threatened that Wu would be charged, his passport confiscated, and his Singapore work permit would also be cancelled. The two "solutions" which they proposed, was that he could be brought in to the Larkin police station for further questioning, or pay a sum of RM1,000.

"I had only RM200 on me at the time. They claimed that there were eight of them and the money wouldn't be enough to share amongst them," said Wu, adding that they brought him to a nearby ATM to withdraw the cash.

The transaction was then carried out in a toilet with one police officer while the other stood guard outside.

"We went into two cubicles, and the police officer reached his hand under the divider to pass me my passport and mobile phone. After getting the cash, the officer outside came into the toilet and told me I could leave," said Wu, describing the pair as in their 30s or 40s.

The policemen were arrested a second time following Wu's police report.

Both suspects will be remanded until Monday and that both had tested negative for drugs, Deputy Johor Bahru South OCPD Supt Lim Jit Huey told Malaysian media.

On April 7, the two Malaysian policemen were arrested for allegedly extorting money from a man at the BSI CIQ.

A 29-year-old victim had reported that police officers extorted RM2,000 from him.

The two suspects, aged 32 and 33, were arrested on April 5 and remanded for three days.

Johor police chief Comm M. Kumar had said in a statement then that the Johor police are committed to fighting integrity problems and criminal misconduct among officers and personnel.

ALSO READ: 'Kopi money'? Woman in Singapore-registered car accuses Johor policeman of extorting $170

candicecai@asiaone.com