JOHOR BAHRU (July 28): Police busted online fraud syndicates operating in Forest City, arresting 355 suspects, including 309 Chinese nationals, in a raid conducted on July 15.

Johor police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said officers from the Commercial Crime Investigation Department and the Criminal Investigation Department of the Johor Police Contingent Headquarters raided 27 apartment units and five bungalows that were being used as call centres for the operation.

He said the raids focused on two separate scam syndicates, each believed to be employing different methods to target victims abroad.

According to him, the first syndicate, based in the apartment units, involved 279 people, comprising 255 Chinese nationals, 19 Indonesians, four Myanmar nationals and one Malaysian.

"Investigators believe the syndicate defrauded victims in China and Indonesia through bogus cryptocurrency investment schemes and love scams," he told a press conference at the Johor Police Contingent Headquarters Tuesday.

The second group involved 54 Chinese nationals and two locals who were arrested in a raid on a bungalow allegedly used to carry out scams by posing as law firms, offering fake investments and promoting cryptocurrency schemes, mainly targeting victims in China.

Police also seized 313 computers, 1,557 mobile phones, 17 laptops, 10 modems, a monitor, a central processing unit and a Mazda CX-8 worth an estimated RM1 million during the raids.

He said the suspects, aged between 20 and 58, worked as agents who sought out victims through platforms including Telegram, WhatsApp and TikTok, earning between RM2,500 and RM4,000 a month.

Ab Rahaman said investigations revealed that some of the foreigners arrested had entered Malaysia on social visit passes, while some could not provide valid travel documents.

He said 14 investigation papers had been submitted to the Deputy Public Prosecutor’s Office, leading to 159 individuals being charged at the Johor Bahru Magistrate’s Court  on Tuesday, while another 35 will face charges on Wednesday.

He said the individuals were charged under Section 120B (1), Section 417 and Section 511 of the Penal Code, along with Section 6(1)(C) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

"Those charged under Section 6(1)(C) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 will also be subject to deportation proceedings and handed over to the Immigration Department for further action," he said.

He said nine additional investigation papers would be submitted to the Deputy Public Prosecutor’s Office Tuesday for further instructions on charging the remaining detainees.

Uploaded by Magessan Varatharaja