Immigration D-G: Shuttered Pahang resort turned into 24-hour scam hub with Starlink and lookouts, 98 detained

An international syndicate allegedly transformed a closed resort in Pahang into a scam call center, employing Starlink internet and lookouts to avoid detection, according to reports from Utusan Malaysia.

The syndicate rented the secluded location for RM30,000 a month, operating for about three months before a raid by Immigration officers resulted in the detention of 98 individuals, including foreigners and locals, after extensive intelligence gathering.

Authorities seized extensive telecommunications equipment, cash, and travel documents, with investigations revealing the syndicate's transnational operations, which included previous activity in several countries to evade law enforcement.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — A shuttered resort in Pahang was allegedly turned into a 24-hour scam call centre by an international syndicate that used Starlink internet and lookouts in an apparent attempt to stay under the radar, Utusan Malaysia reported.

The syndicate was believed to have paid about RM30,000 a month to rent the secluded property in Jalan Sungai Arang, Sungai Lembing, where it had operated for around three months before Immigration officers raided it yesterday.

A total of 98 people were detained, including 95 foreigners and three Malaysians, one of whom was believed to be the resort’s owner.

Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the raid followed about a month of intelligence gathering by the department’s Intelligence and Special Operations Division with the Pahang Immigration Department.

“Of the total, 84 were Chinese men and four were Chinese women, while there was also one Myanmar man and one Myanmar woman, an Indonesian woman, a Hong Kong woman, a Vietnamese woman, a Cambodian woman and a Russian woman,” he was quoted as saying.

“We also detained a local man believed to be the owner of the resort, as well as a local man and woman believed to have been working there.”

Those detained were aged between 20 and 75.

Officers seized 100 mobile phones, 120 computers, a CCTV system, nine packs of unused SIM cards, RM5,000 in cash and 11 sets of Starlink telecommunications equipment.

Immigration believes the satellite internet equipment allowed the syndicate to operate without relying on conventional local telecommunications networks.

“Starlink uses a satellite connection and does not depend on conventional telecommunications networks. That is among the methods we believe were used by this syndicate,” Zakaria said.

The resort had been closed for about a year and last operated in 2025, according to Immigration records.

“The location is fairly remote, and the syndicate also used certain individuals as lookouts to monitor movement in and out of the area,” Zakaria said.

Investigators believe the syndicate ran the operation around the clock in shifts and moved between countries to avoid detection.

“Based on records in the passports seized, there is evidence showing that they had previously been in and operated in several other countries, including Cambodia and Vietnam,” Zakaria said.

“Their modus operandi was to operate in a particular country for a certain period before moving to another country to prevent their activities from being detected.”

Authorities also seized 49 Chinese passports, as well as one passport each from Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Russia, along with an Indonesian passport-equivalent travel document.

Zakaria said 42 Chinese men and two Chinese women, a Myanmar man and woman, a Hong Kong woman and an Indonesian woman were detained over suspected offences under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

Another 41 Chinese men, three Chinese women and a Russian woman were detained under Section 15(1)(c) of the same Act, while a Chinese man and Cambodian woman are being investigated under Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963.

The three Malaysians were detained on suspicion of offences under Section 56(1)(d) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

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据《马来西亚前锋报》报道，一个国际犯罪集团涉嫌将彭亨州一家已关闭的度假村改造成诈骗呼叫中心，并利用星链互联网和眼线来逃避侦查。

该犯罪团伙以每月 3 万令吉的价格租下了这处偏僻的地点，经营了大约三个月。之后，移民官员进行了一次突袭，经过广泛的情报收集，拘留了 98 人，其中包括外国人和当地人。

当局查获了大量电信设备、现金和旅行证件，调查显示该犯罪集团的跨国运作，包括在多个国家开展活动以逃避执法部门的追捕。

吉隆坡，10 月 6 日讯——据《马来西亚前锋报》报道，彭亨州一家已关闭的度假村被一个国际犯罪集团改造成 24 小时诈骗呼叫中心，该集团利用 Starlink 网络和监视人员，显然是为了不被发现。

据信，该犯罪集团每月支付约 3 万令吉租金，租用位于双溪林明双溪阿朗路的一处偏僻房产，并在那里经营了大约三个月，直到昨天移民官员对其进行突击搜查。

共有 98 人被拘留，其中包括 95 名外国人和 3 名马来西亚人，其中一人据信是该度假村的老板。

移民局总监拿督扎卡利亚·沙班表示，此次突击行动是该部门情报和特别行动组与彭亨州移民局进行了大约一个月的情报收集之后进行的。

据报道，他说：“总共有84名中国男性和4名中国女性，此外还有1名缅甸男性和1名缅甸女性，1名印度尼西亚女性，1名香港女性，1名越南女性，1名柬埔寨女性和1名俄罗斯女性。”

“我们还拘留了一名据信是度假村老板的当地男子，以及一名据信在那里工作的当地男子和一名当地女子。”

被拘留者的年龄在20岁至75岁之间。

警方查获了100部手机、120台电脑、一套闭路电视系统、9包未使用的SIM卡、5000令吉现金和11套星联电信设备。

移民局认为，卫星互联网设备使该犯罪集团能够在不依赖传统本地电信网络的情况下开展活动。

扎卡里亚说：“星链使用卫星连接，不依赖传统的电信网络。我们认为，这正是该犯罪集团所使用的手段之一。”

根据移民局记录，该度假村已关闭约一年，最后一次运营是在 2025 年。

扎卡里亚说：“这个地点相当偏僻，犯罪团伙还利用一些人作为瞭望​​员，监视该地区的进出情况。”

调查人员认为，该犯罪团伙实行轮班制，昼夜不停地运作，并在各国之间转移以逃避侦查。

扎卡里亚说：“根据缴获的护照记录，有证据表明他们之前曾在包括柬埔寨和越南在内的其他几个国家活动过。”

“他们的作案手法是在一个国家活动一段时间后，再转移到另一个国家，以防止他们的活动被发现。”

当局还查获了 49 本中国护照，以及缅甸、柬埔寨、印度尼西亚、香港和俄罗斯各一本护照，还有一本相当于印度尼西亚护照的旅行证件。

扎卡里亚表示，42名中国男子和2名中国女子、1名缅甸男子和1名缅甸女子、1名香港女子和1名印度尼西亚女子因涉嫌违反1959/63年《移民法》第6(1)(c)条而被拘留。

另有 41 名中国男子、3 名中国女子和 1 名俄罗斯女子根据同一法令第 15(1)(c) 条被拘留，而 1 名中国男子和 1 名柬埔寨女子正在根据 1963 年移民条例第 39(b) 条接受调查。

这三名马来西亚人因涉嫌违反 1959/63 年移民法第 56(1)(d) 条而被拘留。

巴西古当一家宠物店疑似发生盗窃案，监控录像走红网络后，一名男子归还了自己饲养的仓鼠。

针对审计署的报告，Petra解释了双溪哥乐项目成本上涨至6.01亿令吉的原因。

马六甲一名家庭主妇因冒充高级移民官员提供工作准证服务而被判入狱12个月。