KUALA LUMPUR: Police have frozen 96 bank accounts with over half a million ringgit linked to the GISB Holdings Sdn Bhd.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said police had frozen over RM581,552.31 in funds in those accounts to date.
"The accounts were frozen under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
"We have also seized eight vehicles linked to the company," he told reporters today.
GISB Holdings Sdn Bhd is the focus of a police investigation after raids were conducted on 20 welfare homes allegedly linked to the group.
The raids on Wednesday saw 402 people, some as young as 1-year-old, rescued. Police said the victims had endured various forms of exploitation and abuse, including being sodomised.
Razarudin said initial investigations suggested that some of the caretakers had also taught the children to sodomise other children.
The IGP on Sunday told the NST that GISBH had been on the police watch list since 2011. He also said the coordinated raids at the homes were the culmination of a six-month probe to gather intelligence, build a case and formulate an action plan.
Razarudin had said that he met with representatives from the Research Centre for Deviant Teachings (Pukas) six months ago.
Police, he said, had been monitoring the company even before the recent allegations of child exploitation and abuse went viral on social media.
GISB Holdings Sdn Bhd has since denied the allegations and any links to the case.