Penang:Penang police have successfully dismantled an international scam syndicate targeting victims in China and Cambodia, arresting 29 foreign nationals in a series of raids on three bungalows repurposed as call centers in Barat Daya on September 22.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the operation was carried out by the Penang Commercial Crime Investigation Department (JSJK) based on intelligence and surveillance. Among those arrested were 19 Chinese nationals and 10 Cambodians, aged between 20 and 63.
The initial raid in Teluk Kumbar resulted in the arrest of 14 Chinese men without travel documents. A subsequent raid in the same area led to the detention of three Chinese men, a Cambodian man, and three Cambodian women. During a third raid at Solok Bukit Belah, Bayan Baru, two Chinese men and six Cambodian women were apprehended. Those detained in the later raids possessed passports, with some having previously entered Malaysia.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate had been operational for approximately two to three months, renting each bungalow for RM10,000 monthly and converting them into call centers. The suspects reportedly earned up to RM8,000 a month.
The scam involved using Facebook Live and the LINE application to lure victims with a 'scratch and win' scheme, promising prizes up to US$2 million. Victims were asked to make QR code payments for processing fees, taxes, and insurance but did not receive any prizes. Initial checks indicated the QR codes were registered in Cambodia, prompting police to trace the financial flow and other parties involved.
Authorities seized over 200 mobile phones, 17 laptops, two desktop computers, six modem or router sets, customer records, 'Scratch and Win' cards, suspected fake documents, and studio equipment believed to have been utilized in the scam.
State police chief Datuk Dennis Lim Kwang Keng indicated that the three raids were likely interconnected with the same syndicate, and efforts are underway to identify the mastermind. All 29 suspects are currently remanded until October 13, with the case being investigated under Section 420 read together with Section 120B of the Penal Code, alongside Sections 6(1) and 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.