Tourist alleges extortion by police officers in Kuala Lumpur

A tourist visiting Malaysia has come forward with allegations of extortion and intimidation by two patrol officers in Kuala Lumpur (KL).

The incident apparently happened at around 3am in the Pudu area while the tourist was walking back to his hotel after a meal.

According to his post on Reddit, two police officers stopped him without explanation and demanded to search through his belongings.

The officers instructed the individual to hand over their bag, which contained a tablet and detergent, and to empty his pockets, placing all items on the officers' motorcycle.

The officers then allegedly took the tourist's phone and tablet, ordering him to unlock the devices. Upon searching through the contents, the officers found adult Telegram channels and a cryptocurrency exchange application.

They proceeded to accuse the tourist of illegal activities, including potential money laundering, despite the tourist asserting that merely having a crypto account is not unlawful.

The officers reportedly threatened the tourist with legal consequences, stating that court proceedings could cost them up to $10,000.

They then led the individual into an alley, demanding $400 each - totalling $800 - to avoid further trouble.

The tourist, alone and panicked due to his first-ever encounter with law enforcement, complied out of fear.

The officers allegedly transported the victim to his hotel with their motorcycle, only giving him the hotel key card and instructing him to retrieve the money within five minutes.

Only after paying the demanded amount did the officers return the tourist's phone, tablet, and wallet.

Following the incident, the tourist took the matter to Dang Wangi Police Headquarters, where he successfully recovered his money. The tourist got permission to scold and confront the two officers in front of their colleagues.

Expressing his dismay, the tourist stated that this was his third negative experience in Malaysia and declared he would not visit the country again.

While acknowledging that not all officers engage in such behaviour, he described the experience as deeply scarring and disillusioning.

"I thought those guys were scammers pretending to be police but when officers at Dang Wangi Police Headquarters confirmed they were indeed officers, I couldn't believe it," the victim told one netizen in the comments.

Many Malaysian netizens expressed sympathy for the victim, apologising for the conduct of their country's police. They suggested that the victim report the incident to his embassy as well.

"Sorry you had that experience, police do target many foreigners, especially lower-paid workers," one netizen commented.

However, one netizen thought the encounter was a misunderstanding.

"As a local worker there, I haven't seen this kind of police behaviour for a long time. But maybe it is because it's midnight and I think the police mistook you for an immigrant?"