Mantin:Police arrested 40 individuals suspected of being involved in an online phone scam syndicate during operations conducted at a bungalow and an abandoned resort in Broga, Mantin, on Monday.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Negeri Sembilan police chief Datuk Alzafny Ahmad reported that the suspects, aged between 19 and 63, included a local married couple, 34 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals, and a Taiwanese national. The syndicate allegedly impersonated Chinese prosecutors and police officers to deceive victims, particularly targeting Chinese nationals, including those residing in the United States.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate had been operating for a month from a resort on private land that had been abandoned for nearly four years. The remote location was presumably chosen to avoid detection, but about a week of police intelligence work led to the discovery of their activities.
Inspections showed that the syndicate had rented one block of the resort for RM20,000 to run a call center using Microsoft Teams. The syndicate reportedly deceived victims by claiming involvement in criminal cases and offering assistance to avoid arrest.
The Chinese nationals arrested were believed to have served as administrators and customer service officers. Initial checks on seized laptops and mobile phones uncovered video recordings of syndicate members impersonating Chinese authorities and Mandarin-language scripts used in the scams.
Police seized 82 mobile phones, three laptops, a TP-Link router, 16 Chinese passports, four tripods, RM5,000 in cash, and tenancy agreement documents bearing the name of a local Chinese man. The case is being investigated under Sections 420 and 120B of the Penal Code. All suspects were remanded for four days, from October 13 to 16, to assist in investigations.
Datuk Alzafny Ahmad emphasized that police would take firm action against scam syndicates using premises in Negeri Sembilan as operational bases. He urged the public to report any information on such activities to the police.