AUTHORITIES have detained 117 people, including 109 foreigners, in a raid on six residential premises suspected of being used as operational bases for an online scam syndicate.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the operation was conducted on Nov 3 following public complaints and two weeks of intelligence gathering by enforcement officers from the department's Putrajaya division.
Those detained comprised 98 foreign men and 11 foreign women, as well as seven Malaysian men and one Malaysian woman.
The foreign nationals were from China, Japan, South Korea, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Zakaria said the operation, carried out jointly with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), involved 77 Immigration officers and 10 MCMC personnel, who moved in at 11.50am.
The raid followed an earlier enforcement operation at an upscale residential area in Seri Kembangan, Selangor, believed to be linked to the same syndicate.
At the time of the raid, those at the premises were allegedly communicating with victims through various social media platforms.
Initial investigations indicated that the houses were being used to operate online scams, particularly fraudulent investment schemes, fictitious job offers and e-commerce scams.
MCMC provided technical assistance during the operation, inspecting more than 70 electronic devices, including computers and mobile phones.
Immigration officers seized 115 laptops, 79 mobile phones and RM3,950 in cash.
All foreign detainees have been placed at the Semenyih Immigration Depot for further investigation under the Immigration Act 1959/63, Passports Act 1966, Immigration Regulations 1963 and Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (ATIPSOM). - November 4, 2026
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