Immigration detains 98 in raid on alleged scam call centre at Pahang resort
PUTRAJAYA: A closed resort in Sungai Lembing, Pahang, was allegedly turned into a 24-hour scam call centre, with members of a foreign syndicate living and working at the premises under a shift and target-based system.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said 98 people were detained during a special operation at a premises along Jalan Sungai Arang, Sungai Lembing, Kuantan, on Oct 5.
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They comprised 95 foreigners and three Malaysians, including a local man believed to be the resort owner and two others believed to be working there.
Zakaria said documents found at the premises appeared to outline the workers’ terms, including working hours, a minimum target of RM3,000, deductions for failing to meet targets three times and commissions for those who achieved their targets.
“The modus operandi of the syndicate was to use a resort that had been closed to conceal their activities from the authorities.
“We believe the syndicate moved from one country to another.
“They would operate in one country for a certain period before moving to another country, possibly to avoid detection by the authorities,” he told a press conference today.
Zakaria said the operation began at 12.50pm following about a month of intelligence gathering by the Immigration Department’s Intelligence and Special Operations Division, with the cooperation of Immigration officers from Pahang, Kuala Lumpur and Negri Sembilan.
Those detained were aged between 20 and 75. The 95 foreigners comprised 88 Chinese nationals, two Myanmar nationals, and one each from Indonesia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia and Russia.
He said some of the suspects had attempted to hide and flee during the raid but were detained by the operation team.
Zakaria said the syndicate was believed to have been operating for about three months, using the isolated resort to avoid detection.
“We believe it operated 24 hours a day, possibly in certain shifts. If they were tired, they would sleep and then continue.
“They may have been given their own KPIs or targets. It depended on how they carried out the operation,” he said.
Immigration officers seized 49 Chinese passports, one Myanmar passport, one Cambodian passport, one Indonesian passport, one Hong Kong passport, one Russian passport and one Indonesian temporary travel document.
Zakaria said such syndicates typically targeted victims in their own countries while operating overseas, adding that in this case, the Chinese nationals were believed to have targeted victims in China.
“Based on our experience, that is the modus operandi of syndicates like this,” he said.
Also seized were 100 mobile phones, 120 desktop computer sets, one CCTV system, nine packets of unused SIM cards, RM5,000 in cash and 11 Starlink equipment sets believed to have been used to provide internet connectivity.
Zakaria said the use of Starlink was believed to be part of the syndicate’s method of avoiding detection through local telecommunications networks.
“Starlink uses satellite internet. It does not go through our usual telcos but goes directly to the satellite,” he said.
He added that the resort had no electricity supply and was believed to have relied on generator sets, while food supplies were brought in periodically.
CCTV cameras were also found installed on trees along the entrance route.
Zakaria said 50 foreigners were detained under Section 6(1)© of the Immigration Act 1959/63, 45 under Section 15(1)© of the same Act, and two under Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963.
The three Malaysians were detained under Section 56(1)(d) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
All detainees were brought to the Immigration Office in Putrajaya for further action.
