Photo: Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Aman will collaborate with counterparts in the Philippines following a raid at a freeport in Central Luzon allegedly run by a Malaysian.
The freeport housed over 300 scam workers from Malaysia and China.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf stated that Malaysian police will cooperate with Philippine authorities if necessary.
"We commend their efforts in combating and busting the scam centres, which will significantly impact scam activities," he said on Monday (Nov 4).
Once the Malaysian suspects are returned to Malaysia, Comm Ramli said that they will be further investigated.
Some involved in human trafficking or scam activities might claim to be victims, often using this excuse of being duped by syndicates.
Comm Ramli added that the police will investigate potential links between these syndicates and others in Malaysia.
"We will explore if they have accomplices in Malaysia," he said.
Malaysian police, particularly the CCID, have been consistently conducting operations against local scam syndicates.
Scam syndicates in Malaysia often involve various nationalities, including locals.
There are also Malaysians lured overseas to work in scam centres targeting Malaysians, while foreigners operate locally, targeting citizens from their countries of origin.
Comm Ramli emphasised that the CCID will not relent in their operations against scam syndicates.
"Scams have caused huge losses to victims. We will not stop our efforts to curb scam syndicates in the country," he asserted.
Authorities in the Philippines raided a suspected offshore gaming operator’s compound for alleged human trafficking inside a freeport reportedly run by a Malaysian.
The compound, located in the village of Parang in Central Luzon, over two hours from Manila, was raided on Thursday (Oct 31).
Hundreds of scam workers, including 300 suspects from China and Malaysia, were arrested, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The raiding authorities included the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
Two days earlier, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested 18 Chinese nationals running an alleged "scam hub" in Paranaque City, suspected to be a smaller illegal Pogo (Philippines offshore gaming operator) offshoot.
Among those detained were four Malaysians.
