Macau scam syndicate crippled with arrests of 50 'trainees'

ACP Abdul Ghani (centre) and his officers showing some of seized items at the press conference in George Town. - CHAN BOON KAI/The Star

GEORGE TOWN: A Macau scam syndicate has been crippled after 50 locals, including three women, were arrested in Puchong, Selangor, on Saturday.  

State Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Asst Comm Abdul Ghani Ahmad said police uncovered the syndicate following a police report lodged by a woman victim in Balik Pulau here.  

ACP Abdul Ghani said after about a month of intelligence gathering, police raided a three-storey bungalow in Puchong where the syndicate was operating.  

The bungalow was used as a training centre for the scammers before they were sent overseas to conduct telephone scams on Malaysians.  

“They will pose as bank and police officers and make calls to the victims to transfer money into a specific bank account.  

“The victims were told that their bank accounts had been misused by crime syndicates and had to be closed. The scammers would ask the victims to transfer a sum of money before the accounts were frozen.  

“They use the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to replicate the hotline number of Penang police headquarters, which is 04-2221522, to con their victims.  

“The scammers also promised that the money will be returned to the victims once the ‘investigations’ are completed,” ACP Abdul Ghani told a press conference at the state police headquarters Monday. 

He said the suspects would be remanded until Tuesday for investigations under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.