KUALA LUMPUR: A syndicate employing Chinese nationals to allegedly run an online investment, forex and cryptocurrency scam was busted during an Immigration Department raid in Puchong this morning.
The raiding team, which had acted on a tip-off, arrested 79 men and eight women after carrying out a series of raids at 14 residential and office units located in the same property.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud said the 87 foreigners were caught red-handed.
He said checks on the computers and laptops at the scene indicated that the foreigners had been running the scam involving cryptocurrencies, forex trading and investment scams.
“We also discovered scripts and training manuals that were used by the suspects to lure their victims online.
“We believe that the suspects used online applications to find victims.
“We also found records for customers cheated by the scam,” he told a press conference today.
Khairul said they seized six desktop computers, 33 laptops and 203 mobile phones believed to have been used in the illegal operation.
“We believe the syndicate’s modus operandi had been changed recently.
“They now operate from a rented house or office units to avoid detection.
“In the past, they used to occupy an entire building.
“We also found out that the syndicate had recently purchased mobile numbers and SIM cards for more than RM24,000 to facilitate their operations.”
Kahirul said all those arrested would be detained at the Bukit Jalil Immigration Depot pending further investigations.