Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian police have hit a scam syndicate from China who preyed on older women by duping them into buying medicine and paying for prayers in return for “curing” their illnesses, media reports said.

The bogus “bomoh” (shaman) scam syndicate was made up of foreign nationals, police was quoted as saying by The SOuth China Morning Post on Tuesday.

Five suspects – four women and a man, all aged 40 to 50 – who are accused of being part of the syndicate were arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Thursday last week while trying to escape to China.

“We also seized nine mobile phones, five bags, various types of jewellery, 11 watches of various brands, and a total of 94,300 yuan (US$13,600),” Deputy Commissioner Fisol Salleh, deputy police chief of Penang state, told a press conference as quoted by the newspaper at state police headquarters on Tuesday.

Fisol said the scam syndicate’s modus operandi was to go to public markets early in the morning and approach women over the age of 60.

He said the syndicate would offer medicine that could purportedly cure chronic illnesses.“The members of the syndicate also gave their phone numbers to the victims to offer follow-up treatment,” he said.