AUTHORITIES have taken down a mobile SMS scam syndicate using illegal telecommunications equipment disguised as a legitimate mobile base station, following a joint operation between the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).
The syndicate was exposed during a recent integrated operation, codenamed “Op Pancing”, which led to the arrest of an individual caught operating a Fake Base Transceiver Station (Fake BTS) from a vehicle parked near a major shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur.
“Based on public complaints and intelligence, the individual was apprehended while managing the Fake BTS equipment inside a vehicle. The system was found to be actively transmitting messages,” the MCMC said in a statement.
Frequency testing confirmed that the device was being used to send fraudulent SMS messages, phishing links, and content promoting illegal gambling to unsuspecting individuals in the vicinity.
Following the arrest, enforcement teams raided a two-storey terraced house in Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam, which had been used as a storage location for vehicles and communication equipment linked to the syndicate. Among the items found was a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) equipped with the modified Fake BTS system.
Investigators believe the group had developed a new modus operandi, modifying the Fake BTS equipment for mobile deployment to avoid detection.
A total of 45 items, valued at approximately RM100,000, were seized during the operation. One individual has provided a statement to assist with further investigations.
The case is being investigated under Section 239(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 [Act 588], which carries a maximum penalty of RM1 million, a jail term of up to 10 years, or both upon conviction.
Additionally, the matter is being probed under Regulation 34(5)(c) of the Communications and Multimedia (Spectrum) Regulations 2000, which provides for a fine of up to RM300,000, imprisonment of up to three years, or both. - Sept 6, 2025
