Shah Alam — Selangor police have dismantled six criminal syndicates linked to online fraud following coordinated raids in Kajang and Petaling Jaya, resulting in the arrest of 38 suspects, said Selangor police chief Shazeli Kahar.
The operations uncovered networks involved in a variety of illicit activities, including investment scams, romance scams, job-related fraud and illegal online gambling.
Among those detained were three Malaysian nationals aged between 19 and 50, while the majority are believed to be foreign individuals associated with the syndicates.
Authorities also seized electronic devices worth approximately RM138,000, believed to have been used to run the fraudulent operations.
Initial investigations showed that the syndicates primarily targeted victims from abroad, including China, Japan, Indonesia and Singapore, using digital communication platforms to execute their schemes.
Shazeli revealed that some syndicates were involved in trading digital accounts such as WeChat and iCloud via Telegram, which were then supplied to scam groups based overseas.
He added that most of the suspects acted as operators and customer service personnel, handling communications with victims, while two local individuals were employed in support roles as a driver and a cook.
The syndicates relied heavily on messaging and social media applications such as WeChat, Potato, WhatsApp, Line and Telegram to identify and approach potential victims.
Police also found that the foreign suspects had entered Malaysia legally earlier this year using social visit passes, and their immigration status is now under review.
All suspects have been remanded for between four and seven days, and the case is being investigated under Sections 420 and 120B of the Penal Code.
-wilayah.com.my
