MELAKA: Police arrested 21 Chinese nationals for suspected involvement in a non-existent investment scheme during a raid on a two-storey bungalow in Ayer Keroh here on Monday (July 13).
Melaka Tengah acting police chief Supt Halim Abas said the 21 men, aged between 23 and 54, were arrested in the 8pm raid carried out by a Commercial Crime Investigation Division team from the Melaka Tengah Police Headquarters.
He said the syndicate, which targeted Chinese nationals, is believed to have been actively promoting fake stock investment schemes through a website since the beginning of July.
"Based on preliminary investigations, the bungalow had been used as the syndicate’s call centre and is believed to have been in operation for about two weeks.
"All the suspects are believed to have acted as customer service representatives to recruit victims for the non-existent investment scheme.
"The syndicate’s modus operandi was to deceive victims by promising lucrative returns within a short period,” he told a media conference at the Melaka Tengah Police Headquarters here on Wednesday (July 15).
He said victims interested in the investment scheme would be directed to browse a website to obtain information about the purported investment, with communication taken over by other members of the syndicate, who continue the deception until the victims make financial transactions.
Halim said checks found that none of the suspects possessed valid identification or travel documents, including passports.
Police also seized equipment worth about RM25,000, including eight desktop computers, three laptops, two modems, one Skyworth router, 14 mobile phones and one USB adapter believed to have been used in the scam operation.
"We do not rule out the possibility that this syndicate has links to investment scam syndicates that were previously busted in Melaka, he said.
He added that all the suspects have been remanded for 14 days, starting Tuesday (July 14), and that the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. — Bernama
