Some rescued scam 'victims' may actually be syndicate agents, says CID chief

KUALA LUMPUR: Some rescued job scam victims are suspected of actually being agents of the syndicates, says Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain (pic).

The Bukit Aman CID director said there are victims who were detected making multiple visits to countries where these job scam syndicates operate.

"After they were rescued and returned to Malaysia, we performed checks and investigated them at the airport. We detected they had travelled multiple times to the same country (where the job scam syndicates operated).

"When we interview them, their answers are always standard, as if it was scripted and rehearsed.

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"Our further checks and intelligence gathering revealed they were also the same ones who enticed others to take up bogus job offers overseas," he told reporters after a dialogue sessions with the public held in Taman Tun Dr Ismail on Saturday (March 9).

Comm Mohd Shuhaily said police also detected 16 rescued job scam victims travelling overseas despite having been rescued by Malaysian authorities previously.

"Normally, people who have been rescued would be too traumatised to travel overseas. If they go overseas and return normally then there is no offence committed.

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However, if they are caught overseas in similar job scam circumstances, then it shows our assumptions are spot on. We will monitor the situation closely," he said.

Comm Mohd Shuhaily said the department has prepared a briefing note for the Home Minister on the matter.

"It is up to the Home Ministry to evaluate the procedure to issue travel documents should the victims often return to countries where job scam syndicates operate," he said.

A total of 326 Malaysians have been rescued from job scam syndicates between 2021and Feb 23 while 133 others are still stranded overseas.