SANDAKAN: Fourteen Chinese nationals suspected of involvement in online scams have been detained following a raid on a three-storey bungalow in an upscale neighbourhood here.
The men, aged between 26 and 44, were arrested during an operation codenamed Ops Serkap at about 11pm on Wednesday (Nov 4), following a week of intelligence gathering by the Sabah Immigration Department.
State Immigration director Datuk Sh Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof said all 14 men were believed to have entered Malaysia using social visit passes.
"Initial investigations found that four of them had transited through Cambodia before arriving in Sabah, five flew directly from China, while another five transited through KL International Airport (KLIA).
"Their modus operandi was to enter Sabah as tourists using social visit passes," she said during a press conference in Sandakan on Thursday (Nov 5).
Of the 14 suspects, 13 were found to have overstayed, while one was suspected of not possessing a valid pass or permit.
She said the suspects were believed to be involved in online scam activities conducted from the bungalow.
The operation involved 49 enforcement officers from the Immigration Department's Kota Kinabalu headquarters.
During the raid, officers seized 14 laptops, 75 mobile phones of various brands, RM3,742 in cash and 560 Chinese yuan.
They also confiscated 13 chairs, six tables and a set of internet equipment and accessories.
Sh Sitti Saleha said the 13 men suspected of overstaying were being investigated under Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, while the remaining suspect was being investigated under Section 6(1)(c) of the same Act for allegedly not possessing a valid pass or permit.
All 14 suspects are being held at the Kota Kinabalu Immigration Depot pending further investigations.
She said the department viewed seriously any involvement of foreign nationals in online scams, citing concerns over public safety and national security.
She added that enforcement and monitoring activities would be intensified to curb immigration offences, including overstaying and the misuse of immigration passes.
The department also urged the public to report suspicious activities to the authorities.
