KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — A total of 408 bank accounts suspected to be linked to financial improprieties involving the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption scandal have been frozen, a government task force said today.

Named the 1MDB Task Force, the team jointly led by Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed, Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull and Datuk Abdul Hamid Bador, said the accounts belonged to 81 individuals and 55 companies.

"These accounts are believed to have been involved in the embezzlement and misappropriation of 1MDB funds.

"It involves nearly 900 transactions made between March 2011 and September 2015,” they said in a statement.

The task force said it is currently in the midst of identifying the degree of involvement of the bank account holders and hoped for their co-operation.

It said more bank accounts could be frozen after this.

"All accounts are frozen according to the law and therefore, there is no issue that this account suspension is to frame anyone,” the task force emphasised.

Last week, police announced a whopping RM1.1 billion as the appraisal amount from the cash, gold, jewellery, handbags, watches and other luxury items seized from six properties in the Klang Valley linked to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as part of ongoing investigations into 1MBD.

Najib, who has yet to be charged in court, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.