Crime & Courts

Man behind 'Sugarbook' app nabbed

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have arrested a man, believed to be the founder of the controversial "Sugarbook" application and website, here, yesterday afternoon.

The 34-year-old suspect, who is from Gelugor, Penang was detained during "Op Sugarbook" at about 4.30pm.

Selangor Police Criminal Investigations Department chief Datuk Fadzil Ahmat in a statement said a remand application would be made at the Shah Alam Court today.

"The suspect has admitted he was founder of the Sugarbook application during preliminary investigations.

"Probe in the case is being carried under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998."

He also said that investigations were also being carried out under Section 373(1)(d) and Section 372B of the Penal Code.

The Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had recently blocked access to the Sugarbook website two days ago, following a police report lodged against it, which facilitated the search for "sugar daddies" and "sugar babies".

Bukit Aman CID director Datuk Huzir Mohamed said police had opened an investigation paper on Sugarbook.

The media had reported that the pandemic and Movement Control Order (MCO) has caused more university students in Malaysia to turn to "sugar daddies" for easy money to cover their costs of living and tuition fees.

Sugarbook claimed to have recorded a 40 per cent increase in students registering as "sugar babies" since January, saying it demonstrated the financial difficulties they are facing.

It also revealed that some 12,705 students from 10 institutions of higher learning in the Klang Valley, including two public universities, are currently registered with the platform.

According to Sugarbook, the top two categories of "sugar babies" are students and fresh graduates.

They are followed by entrepreneurs, nurses, teachers, lawyers, waitresses, personal assistants, make-up artists, freelance models and pharmacists.

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