Couple posing as police personnel caught by villagers in Dungun

DUNGUN: A husband and wife who posed as police personnel to extort an elderly woman were cornered and caught by villagers at Felda Rasau Kerteh 3 around 4pm today.

The incident began when the victim, Mariani Ismail, 64, received a video call from one of the suspects, who was dressed in a police uniform against a background resembling the Kuantan district police headquarters.

Frightened after being threatened and falsely accused of wrongdoing, Mariani handed over three pieces of jewellery worth thousands of ringgit on Nov 6.

After realising she had been duped in the first incident, Mariani lodged a police report, allowing her family and villagers to stay alert and monitor the suspects' movements.

The suspects returned to her house today to demand an additional RM50,000 in cash.

Mariani's husband, Zakaria Ibrahim, said the suspects initially acted cautiously and refused to enter the house.

"Instead, they instructed us to place the RM50,000 in the mailbox in front of our house.

"However, I lured them by asking them to collect the money themselves from the car," he said.

The plan worked, with villagers who had been waiting around the house quickly surrounding the two suspects.

"The two foreign suspects are believed to have pawned my wife's jewellery at a gold shop in Kuala Lumpur for nearly RM13,000.

"They were then taken to the Dungun district police headquarters to assist in investigations. I understand they will be remanded at the Dungun magistrate's court tomorrow," he said.