The police have arrested four males, ages 27 to 37, and a woman, 34, for their alleged involvement in a WhatsApp account takeover scam.
The five people were apprehended by police officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) during an operation that took place between November 29 and November 30, 2021.
Several mobile phones, laptops, tablets, bank cards, items suspected of being restricted narcotics, and drug-related accessories were confiscated during the operation. Three males, aged 27 to 31, were also arrested as part of the five people detained for alleged drug-related offenses.
A 37-year-old man was charged with unauthorized access to computer material under Section 3(1) of the Computer Misuse Act on December 1, 2021, and held for further investigation.
The investigations into the remaining four suspects are still underway.
Under the Computer Misuse Act, first-time offenders who deliberately cause a computer to execute any function for the purpose of gaining unauthorized access to any program or data contained in any computer face up to two years in jail, a $5,000 fine, or both.
Re-offenders face up to three years in jail, a $10,000 fine, or both if they are convicted.