Investment, love scams: Nine locals among 141 arrested as Penang police bust 14 online call centres

GEORGE TOWN, Nov 2 — Penang police arrested 141 individuals, including nine locals, in 14 raids on call centres suspected of conducting various online scam operations in the state from October 9 to 29.

Penang police chief Datuk Dennis Lim Kwang Keng said the state Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) operation involved five raids in Timur Laut district, six in Barat Daya district, and three in Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT), following intelligence gathering and surveillance.

“In the raids, police arrested 93 Chinese nationals, 29 Vietnamese, four Japanese, three Taiwanese, two Cambodians, one Myanmar national, and nine locals, all aged between 18 and 48.

“They are from different groups or syndicates believed to be involved in investment scams, love scams, impersonation of police officers, and non-existent job offers using various platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok,” he told a press conference at the Penang Contingent Police Headquarters here today.

He said the syndicates are believed to have rented houses in recent months to carry out their operations, using Penang as a base to target victims mainly overseas, including in China, Japan, the United States, Brazil and Hong Kong.

Lim said police also seized equipment, including mobile phones, laptops, tablets, internet routers, electronic equipment and computer accessories, believed to be used in the syndicates’ operations, valued at RM1.4 million.

He added police were investigating potential abuse of immigration passes and facilities for illegal activities, although most foreigners detained entered Malaysia legally with valid passports.

All suspects have been remanded, and the case is being investigated under Section 420 read together with Section 120B of the Penal Code, as well as Section 6(3) and Section 15(1)© of the Immigration Act 1959/63. — Bernama

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乔治市，11月2日讯——槟城警方于10月9日至29日期间，对涉嫌在槟城进行各种网络诈骗活动的呼叫中心进行了14次突击搜查，逮捕了141人，其中包括9名当地人。

槟城警察局长拿督丹尼斯林光庆表示，州商业犯罪调查局（CCID）在收集情报和进行监视后，采取行动，在帖木儿劳勿县（Timur Laut）进行了五次突击搜查，在巴拉达亚县（Barat Daya）进行了六次突击搜查，在威省登雅（SPT）进行了三次突击搜查。

“在突袭行动中，警方逮捕了93名中国公民、29名越南公民、4名日本公民、3名台湾公民、2名柬埔寨公民、1名缅甸公民和9名当地人，年龄均在18岁至48岁之间。

“他们来自不同的团伙或犯罪集团，据信参与了投资诈骗、爱情诈骗、冒充警察以及利用 WhatsApp、Telegram、微信、Instagram、Facebook 和 TikTok 等各种平台发布虚假招聘信息的犯罪活动，”他今天在槟城警察总部举行的新闻发布会上说。

他说，据信这些犯罪团伙在最近几个月租了房子进行犯罪活动，以槟城为基地，主要针对海外受害者，包括中国、日本、美国、巴西和香港。

林表示，警方还缴获了包括手机、笔记本电脑、平板电脑、互联网路由器、电子设备和电脑配件在内的设备，据信这些设备被用于犯罪团伙的行动，价值140万令吉。

他还补充说，警方正在调查是否存在滥用移民通行证和设施从事非法活动的情况，尽管大​​多数被拘留的外国人都是持有效护照合法入境马来西亚的。

所有嫌疑人均已被还押候审，案件正根据《刑法》第420条和第120B条以及1959/63年《移民法》第6(3)条和第15(1)©条进行调查。——马新社

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警方在槟城机场逮捕一名男子，该男子涉嫌携带价值320万令吉的大麻运往伦敦；警方在日落洞缴获价值105万令吉的毒品。

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