KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Aman federal police hope the Criminal Procedure Code and Penal Code can be finetuned to tackle mule bank accounts and misuse of automated teller machine (ATM) cards.
Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said he had briefed the home minister on suggestions that could be tabled in Parliament to amend the two Acts.
"The current laws are not sufficient to prosecute such cases.
"Currently, we are using Section 29(1) of the Minor Offences Act to deal with mule account holders.
"There are many interpretations and opinions on its use and we have noted that there is a reluctance in taking on these cases," he told reporters here today.
He said police had also suggested amendments to the law to tackle misuse of ATM cards.
"I'm sure people are aware of individuals who carry around stacks of these ATM cards to make withdrawals.
"With these amendments, no one will be allowed to hold the ATM cards of other individuals or give their ATM cards to others as it could make them liable to be charged in court," he said.
It was reported that the government will finetune amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code and the Penal Code to address the increasing number of cybercrimes in line with technological advancements and the complexity of such crimes.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail was quoted as saying the decision was made following discussions with the police.
However, he said that the ministry needed the cooperation of various parties, including Bank Negara Malaysia.
"We have some constraints with the existing laws. We need to reassess the limited powers of the police, especially the constraints faced by investigators with the current laws.
"Therefore, it is reasonable for the police and the ministry to revisit these laws.
"This idea was previously raised in 2018 and 2019 due to the anticipated trend of increasingly challenging commercial crime cases, which are difficult to manage with the current manpower and legal constraints.
"The trend of fraud is becoming more sophisticated and doing nothing is not an option," he said at the Home Ministry's monthly assembly here today.