POLICE have dismantled two large-scale international scam syndicates operating from luxury properties in and around Forest City, arresting more than 330 people in what is believed to be the country's largest coordinated enforcement operation against illegal call centres.
The coordinated raids, conducted over recent days, targeted dozens of high-end apartments and bungalows that investigators believe had been converted into sophisticated scam centres serving transnational criminal networks.
Investigators believe the syndicates targeted victims in China, Indonesia, Japan, the United States and several European countries through a range of online and telephone fraud schemes.
Police seized desktop computers, laptops, mobile phones and other electronic equipment with a combined estimated value of almost RM2 million.
In the first operation, officers uncovered a scam syndicate occupying nearly five floors of luxury apartments spread across more than two dozen residential units.
The syndicate allegedly preyed primarily on victims in China and Indonesia through romance scams, foreign exchange fraud and cryptocurrency investment schemes, with elderly individuals believed to have been among its principal targets.
Those arrested in the operation were predominantly nationals of China, Indonesia and Myanmar.
Police recovered more than 800 laptops and mobile phones, together with other equipment worth almost RM1 million.
In a separate operation, officers raided several luxury bungalows, arresting 53 Chinese nationals suspected of operating scams targeting victims in China, Japan, Europe and the United States.
Investigators believe each property was assigned victims from a specific country, with the syndicates allegedly specialising in investment fraud, cryptocurrency scams and schemes involving the impersonation of law firms.
Police also recovered nearly 1,000 computers and mobile phones valued at more than RM1 million from the premises.
Preliminary investigations indicate that members of both syndicates had entered Malaysia from neighbouring countries and had only been in the country for several weeks before the raids.
Sources said recruits were promised monthly salaries of up to RM4,000, with additional commissions offered to those who achieved performance targets.
Investigators have yet to establish whether the two syndicates are linked.
The sweeping operation came just days after authorities ordered the closure of the controversial Network School facility on 22 July for failing to comply with business licensing requirements.
A senior police official confirmed that the arrests stemmed from two major operations targeting illegal call centres in the Iskandar Puteri area.
The suspects, aged between their 20s and 50s, have been remanded as investigations continue into offences involving cheating and breaches of the Immigration Act, with many allegedly found to be without valid travel documents. - July 28, 2026
