Johor police busted online fraud syndicates in Forest City, arresting 355 suspects including 309 Chinese nationals in a July 15 raid.
JOHOR BAHRU: Police busted online fraud syndicates operating in Forest City, arresting 355 suspects, including 309 Chinese nationals, in a raid on July 15.
Johor police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said officers from the Commercial Crime Investigation Department and the Criminal Investigation Department raided 27 apartment units and five bungalows used as call centres for two separate scam syndicates.
The first syndicate involved 279 people, comprising 255 Chinese nationals, 19 Indonesians, four Myanmar nationals and one Malaysian. “Investigators believe the syndicate defrauded victims in China and Indonesia through bogus cryptocurrency investment schemes and love scams,” he told a press conference at the Johor Police Contingent Headquarters today.
The second group involved 54 Chinese nationals and two locals arrested in a bungalow where they posed as law firms, offering fake investments and promoting cryptocurrency schemes, mainly targeting victims in China.
Police seized 313 computers, 1,557 mobile phones, 17 laptops, 10 modems, a monitor, a central processing unit and a Mazda CX-8 worth an estimated RM1 million.
The suspects, aged between 20 and 58, worked as agents who sought out victims through platforms including Telegram, WhatsApp and TikTok, earning between RM2,500 and RM4,000 a month.
Investigations revealed some foreigners had entered Malaysia on social visit passes while others could not provide valid travel documents.
Ab Rahaman said 14 investigation papers had been submitted to the Deputy Public Prosecutor’s Office, leading to 159 individuals being charged at the Johor Bahru Magistrate’s Court today, while another 35 will face charges tomorrow.
The individuals were charged under Section 120B(1), Section 417 and Section 511 of the Penal Code, along with Section 6(1)(C) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
“Those charged under Section 6(1)(C) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 will also be subject to deportation proceedings and handed over to the Immigration Department for further action,” he said.
He said nine additional investigation papers would be submitted to the Deputy Public Prosecutor’s Office today for further instructions on charging the remaining detainees.
