40 people arrested in online gambling call centre raids

PETALING JAYA: An online gambling call centre that targeted overseas customers has been busted in raids in the Klang Valley.

Forty suspects, aged 20 to 58, were arrested in the raids on May 19, including 21 Chinese nationals and a Singaporean man.

The raids were led by Bukit Aman via its Commercial Crime Investigation Department, and were conducted with the National Financial Crime Centre (NFCC).

"The syndicate was found to have prepared an online gambling platform that targeted the Taiwanese market. Interested customers were instructed to transfer money into a mule account that we believe to be based in China.

"After the money has been transferred the customers will be issued points for the gambling platform," Police secretary Deputy Comm Datuk Norsiah Mohd Saaduddin said in a statement on Monday (May 22).

Investigations also showed that the group had been operating a digital currency exchange by receiving money from China and converting them into the USDT crypto token. It would then be transferred back to China.

"The source of the money received by the syndicate is still under investigation," she said.

Seizures included 88 handphones, three cars and multiple computers.

A total of RM29,587 and USD5,000 (RM22,692.50) cash were also seized.

All suspects have been remanded until May 25.