Kuala Lumpur  - Malaysian police have detained 23 Filipino nationals, believed to be part of a pickpocket syndicate that has been active in the capital Kuala Lumpur, reports said Saturday.

Police arrested eight men and six women as they were targeting a victim at a shopping complex on Thursday, the Star daily reported.

Following the arrest, police caught five other syndicate members at another shopping complex, the report added.

Police formed a task force to investigate the pickpocket cases after receiving at least five reports daily over the past week, district police chief Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman said.

"After compiling information, we raided several condominiums in the Klang Valley and arrested four men," he said, adding that police are were still seeking five syndicate members, including the leader.

The syndicate was believed to have rented several condominiums in the capital city and the members had been traveling to Malaysia frequently since 2006, Zulkarnain said. (dpa)