PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department has detained 64 foreigners over their suspected involvement in an online scam syndicate that is believed to have raked in up to RM6mil in illicit profits over two months.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the arrests were made during a two-day joint special operation with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) that began on Wednesday (Oct 28), targeting four luxury condominium units in Jalan Kerinchi, Kuala Lumpur, and two bungalows in The Mines.
He said those detained comprised 44 Chinese nationals, 19 Vietnamese nationals, and one Myanmar national.
"Syndicate members were found working from 10am to 11pm and offered monthly salaries between RM3,000 and RM6,000.
“The syndicate is believed to have been active for the past two months, using communications and internet facilities to run scam operations targeting victims via digital platforms," he told a press conference here on Thursday (Oct 29).
Zakaria added that the department has identified the owners of the luxury properties, who are believed to be locals, noting that the rent for a two-storey bungalow reached RM25,000 a month, while the condominium units were rented for between RM5,000 and RM10,000 a month.
Investigations revealed that the syndicate targeted foreigners, particularly victims from their respective home countries.
"The syndicate generated profits of between RM100,000 and RM150,000 a day," he said.
Transaction records also showed potential commission payouts of about 17 per cent to individuals running the operations.
Zakaria added that authorities have not ruled out the involvement of local syndicates acting as intermediaries and are investigating links between the groups and other criminal networks.
During the operation, Zakaria said enforcement officers seized 28 laptops of various brands, 81 mobile phones, two routers, and a modem, with the total seizure valued at an estimated RM51,300.
He said officers also discovered three blank passports from Japan, South Korea, and the United States without any personal particulars printed on them.
"Based on preliminary information, the passports were believed to be intended for use by syndicate members by printing their photographs on them in emergencies, including to flee the country," he said.
However, Zakaria said further investigations are being carried out to determine whether travel document forgery activities and an associated network are involved.
Flight tickets to Japan, South Korea, and the United States were also found, believed to facilitate movement out of the country.
An inspection of the seized devices revealed several active applications, including Telegram, believed to have served as a communication platform with clients and for investment schemes, he said.
Also identified were the 'BOC Dayou' system, which used the name and elements of the Bank of China, and the 'Feng Pay Control' portal, used to manage and process payment transactions, including through Alipay, WeChat Pay, and UnionPay.
Zakaria said all the foreigners had entered Malaysia using genuine passports and legally as tourists.
Further investigations are underway to verify whether they have criminal records, in addition to tracing the parties who registered the local telecommunications lines used by the syndicate.
All those detained are suspected of committing offences under Section 56(1A)(c), Section 6(1)(c), and Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155), as well as Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963. – Bernama
