A spiritual healing business in Sabah has landed 12 people in police custody after authorities uncovered an alleged scam that reportedly cost victims around RM600,000. The syndicate allegedly offered services including fortune-telling, traditional treatment and ritual cleansing, promising customers help with illnesses, bad luck and other personal problems.
Police said the group used these services to convince victims to hand over large amounts of money. The case has now drawn attention after investigators moved against the group and began piecing together how the alleged operation worked.
A Business Built Around ‘Healing’
According to police, the group’s alleged activities were centred on spiritual and traditional healing services. Customers were reportedly offered fortune-telling and rituals that were said to remove bad luck.
The services could appear convincing to people who were looking for answers to personal problems, particularly when they were told that a ritual or treatment could change their circumstances. Investigators believe the operation was not simply about providing a traditional service, but involved allegedly misleading customers for financial gain. Police have described the case as a syndicate that managed to extract about RM600,000 from victims.
12 People Taken Into Custody
Sabah Deputy Police Commissioner Datuk Mohd Azhar Hamin said 12 people were arrested in connection with the investigation. The arrests are part of police efforts to identify those allegedly involved in the syndicate and determine how the money was collected and distributed. At this stage, the arrests do not mean every person involved has been found guilty. The investigation is still focused on establishing each suspect’s role and gathering evidence linked to the alleged scheme.
The case also highlights how the alleged syndicate presented its services to potential customers. Rather than using the usual online investment or fake shopping tactics seen in many scams, the group allegedly relied on spiritual claims and traditional rituals.
Police said the services included fortune-telling and cleansing rituals aimed at removing bad luck. Such claims allegedly became the basis for charging customers for treatments that investigators believe were part of the scam. The reported losses of around RM600,000 suggest that the alleged operation involved significant sums rather than a few isolated payments.
Two Suspects Later Face Charges
The investigation has since moved into the court process. Two women who were among those arrested were later charged at the Sessions Court in Kota Kinabalu over an alleged traditional healing scam. The charges were linked to an alleged conspiracy, taking the case a step further after the arrests. Their appearance in court means the allegations are now being tested through the legal process, while investigators continue dealing with the wider group of suspects connected to the case.
The latest court development also gives a clearer picture of how authorities are treating the alleged operation. The suspects are facing accusations connected to the services offered to customers, rather than being treated as ordinary traditional healers. Police and prosecutors will have to establish the evidence behind the allegations, including how customers were approached, what they were promised and how payments were obtained. The reported RM600,000 loss remains central to the investigation into the suspected syndicate.
Investigation Remains Ongoing
For now, police are continuing to investigate the alleged spiritual healing scheme and the people believed to be involved. The reported case involves a different kind of scam from the more familiar phone, investment and online shopping frauds, with the suspects allegedly using spiritual services as the way to attract and persuade customers. With 12 people arrested and two later facing court charges, authorities are now working to establish the full scale of the operation and account for the money allegedly taken from victims.
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