Home Ministry reveals 2,097 police arrests since 2021, silent on Kajang crypto-robbery cops

Since 2021, over 2,000 Royal Malaysia Police officers have been arrested for various crimes, with drug-related arrests comprising nearly three-quarters of all detentions, according to the Home Ministry's data presented in Parliament. The ministry reported 2,097 police personnel taken into custody between 2021 and August 2026. The majority, 1,551 officers, were held under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, while 482 were apprehended by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), and 64 were detained for armed robbery.

Drug arrests peaked in 2021 with 357 cases, after which they stabilized at around 250 cases per year, with 135 arrests recorded during the first eight months of 2026. Robbery arrests remained consistent at approximately 10 to 13 cases annually, including 10 arrests between January and August 2026. Graft apprehensions fluctuated, dropping to a low of 53 in 2024 after a high of 129 in 2023, with 50 personnel arrested so far this year.

A specific case involved 12 police officers accused of robbery in Kajang, where they allegedly robbed Chinese nationals of around RM200,000 in cryptocurrency. The ministry confirmed that federal investigators opened an inquiry under Section 395 of the Penal Code but did not disclose the current operational or disciplinary status of the officers involved.

The officers, ranging from an assistant superintendent to constables, were arrested in February 2021 following a raid on a rented bungalow. Four of the officers were from Bukit Aman's federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department. They were later released on bail while assisting in tracing blockchain wallet transactions. However, the ministry's parliamentary reply did not provide information on the outcomes, omitting details on the number of arrested personnel who faced formal criminal prosecution, secured convictions, or were dismissed from the police force.