KUALA LUMPUR: The Chinese national arrested for leading an international scam syndicate last week holds dual citizenship, says Comm Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf (pic).
The Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director said the 34-year-old man, who was born in Henan province, China, is also a citizen of Turkiye.
“He has both China and Turkiye passports. We are investigating his involvement in crimes in other countries as well,” he said when contacted.
Comm Ramli said the suspect used the name of a female syndicate member to purchase eight luxury condominiums, valued at RM16mil, paying entirely in cash.
He said police believed they sought money-changing services to facilitate the payments.
He said police would contact the property companies and agents involved in the transactions.
“We will call them up soon to assist with the investigation,” he added.
Initial investigation showed the lower-ranking syndicate members earned between RM3,000 and RM7,000 a month while the mastermind and his closest aides received huge proceeds from the scam.
It was reported that on Feb 19, police busted an international scam syndicate targeting online gamers from China, in an operation at its call centres located at eight condominium units here.
A total of 14 people including the mastermind were arrested.
A large amount of cash and various items including luxury vehicles, mobile phones and branded bags worth nearly RM12mil were seized.
The syndicate was said to have hosted bogus online gaming competitions that offered lucrative prizes.
Comm Ramli said using condominiums as call centres was not new due to their strict security, privacy and good Internet connection, among other factors.
“We hope the public will stay vigilant and be aware of the surroundings of their homes. Alert the police as soon as possible if you notice any suspicious activity,” he urged.
Comm Ramli also reminded property companies and agents to conduct thorough checks before selling the properties, especially to foreigners who purchase in cash.
“Verify the reasons for the purchase and the source of the funds to ensure the premises are not used for criminal activities.
“Most premises used as call centres are those rented by the syndicates. In this context, we feel that a more strict procedure is needed to ensure all owners of premises practice ‘KYC’ (Know Your Customer) before renting it out.
“Excuses of not knowing about criminal activities occurring at rented premises will not be accepted,” he said.
