BUKIT MERTAJAM, June 3 – Penang police busted three international scam syndicates and arrested 32 individuals, including four local men, during three separate raids on premises used as call centers around Bukit Mertajam yesterday.
Penang Police Chief Datuk Azizee Ismail said the operation, conducted by the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) of the Penang Regional Police Headquarters (IPK), also led to the seizure of various equipment used by the syndicates, valued at an estimated RM123,000.
“The first raid in Taman Pinggiran Bukit Minyak successfully took down a ‘love scam’ syndicate believed to have been operating since last January, targeting victims from Malaysia, China, and Taiwan.
“In that raid, 10 foreigners comprising eight men and one woman from China, as well as a Taiwanese man aged between 24 and 41, were arrested,” he said in a statement last night.
He added that the raid also resulted in the seizure of 16 computers, 23 mobile phones, and four WiFi routers worth approximately RM78,000, along with the discovery of scam scripts used by the syndicate.
Azizee said the second raid uncovered an USDT cryptocurrency exchange scam syndicate targeting victims from Taiwan and led to the arrest of 15 individuals comprising six men and a woman from Taiwan, two men and two women from Vietnam, and four local men aged between 20 and 49.
During the raid, he said police seized 28 computers, 21 mobile phones, and a WiFi router with a total estimated value of RM25,000. Initial investigations revealed that the syndicate had been operating since around last April.
Meanwhile, he added that the third raid successfully crippled a ‘phone scam’ syndicate where members posed as Japanese police officers to deceive victims from Japan and Taiwan.
“A total of seven foreigners were detained, involving five Japanese men and two Taiwanese men aged between 20 and 47.
“The raid also led to the seizure of mobile phones, laptops, iPads, Osaka Police uniforms, fake authority cards and police badges, as well as satellite communication equipment estimated to be worth RM20,000,” he said.
Azizee said the cases are being investigated under Section 420 and Section 120B of the Penal Code, while all suspects will be brought to court for remand applications to facilitate further investigations.
