KUALA LUMPUR: A suspected investment scam call centre in Melaka was crippled following the arrests of 34 people, including 31 Chinese nationals.
The operation was conducted at a residential premises in Klebang Kechil on Thursday (Oct 22) following a month-long intelligence operation involving the Immigration Department's Intelligence and Special Operations Division and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the 34 detainees comprised 29 Chinese men, two Chinese women, one Taiwanese man and two local men aged 22 and 32 who were believed to be guarding the premises.
"Initial checks found that three Chinese men had overstayed, while the other foreign nationals did not possess valid travel documents or passes to remain in the country.
"We seized various items including three Chinese passports, 309 mobile phones, 45 computer sets, five routers, a gigabit switch, a portable WiFi device, a gate remote control and 21 notebooks containing instructions on how to scam victims," he said in a statement.
Zakaria said the syndicate had used a homestay as its operational base to evade detection while carrying out investment scams targeting South Koreans in their home country.
"The syndicate, operated by Chinese and Taiwanese nationals, allegedly used social media platforms and communication applications to lure victims with promises of high returns within a short period.
"Investigations found that the operators were divided into three groups responsible for customer service, managing investment-related information and maintaining customer data," he added.
Interrogations also revealed that the operators were not allowed to leave the premises throughout their working hours.
"Food supplies were delivered by the two Malaysian men, who were believed to have been paid RM3,000 to guard the premises and monitor the workers.
"The syndicate allegedly operated from 8am to 8pm and was believed to have been active for the past three months," he said.
The two local men were detained for suspected offences under Section 56(1)(d) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, while the foreign nationals were held for suspected offences under Section 6(1)(c) and Section 15(1)(c) of the same Act.
All detainees were taken to the Immigration Department's headquarters in Putrajaya for further investigation.
Zakaria said the department would continue to intensify enforcement efforts against activities that violate the country's laws.
