Mystery withdrawals from MH370 passengers’ bank accounts angers families

More than HK$270,000 has been mysteriously withdrawn from the bank accounts of four passengers on missing Malaysian Airlines flight 370. A relative of one of the missing branded it "an evil crime".

"Do they realise some of those missing passengers are the sole breadwinners of their families and that they need that money?" said Lokman Mustafa, whose sister was on MH370. "I am angry to hear this news."

According to Malaysian police, the money was taken in early July, four months after MH370 went missing with 239 people on board while travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

"A total of 111,000 ringgit (HK$270,840) was withdrawn from the accounts of four MH370 passengers. This occurred in one bank," said Kuala Lumpur Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief assistant commissioner Izany Abdul Ghany.

He declined to name the bank, which reported the incident to the police on August 2.

"The money was taken via ATM and internet bank transfer to a third party. We are investigating this case," Izany said.