Penang police have dismantled five international scam syndicates operating out of rented bungalows across the state, arresting 108 suspects from eight countries.
NST reported that the raids on 16 and 17 July targeted call centres running phone scams and online investment schemes that preyed on victims in China, the United States, Canada, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Penang police chief Comm Datuk Dennis Lim Kwang Keng said the syndicates had no known Malaysian victims. He spoke at a press conference at the North-East District police headquarters on 22 July.
The Star reported that raids were carried out in Batu Ferringhi, Tanjung Bungah, Pulau Tikus, Jelutong and Bukit Mertajam. One syndicate operated from a four-storey bungalow in Bukit Mertajam, where officers seized folders bearing logos of the US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with fake Canadian police uniforms.
Handwritten scripts from that raid coached callers to pose as fraud investigators, question victims about supposed unauthorised transactions, address their suspicions, and then transfer the call to another person acting as an investigating officer.
Police arrested 29 people in the Bukit Mertajam raid alone, comprising nationals from Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan, Cambodia, Nigeria and South Africa. The operation, codenamed Ops Pintas, was triggered by a report from a man in Selangor who said a 26-year-old Cameroonian woman was being held against her will on the premises. Officers found the woman on the premises.
Comm Lim said the syndicates had only been operating in Penang for one to two months and were not linked to one another. He believed they may have relocated to Penang following a major crackdown by Bukit Aman in the Klang Valley.
“If we look at it from a criminal’s perspective, they may choose places that are more upscale as these locations have security features that provide some protection,” he said, when asked why the syndicates favoured Penang.
Police are looking for a local man known as William, 49, whose last known address was in Kluang, Johor, to assist investigations.
All suspects are being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating read together with Section 120B for criminal conspiracy, as well as immigration-related offences. Comm Lim said police were working with foreign authorities to determine whether any of the suspects were wanted in their home countries.
He urged property owners to conduct proper background checks on prospective tenants before renting. “Do not simply accept anyone who wants to rent your property. If you engage agents, make sure they also conduct proper checks,” he said.
In a separate, unrelated operation, police arrested a 37-year-old local man in Teluk Air Tawar, Butterworth, on 20 July and seized 3.1kg of MDMA worth about RM470,000. The suspect is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
Separately, police carried out Ops Soga XI between 11 June and 19 July to curb illegal betting during the FIFA World Cup. A total of 31 raids resulted in 36 arrests, with 23 accused pleading guilty in court while one case is still being tried.
