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A MALAYSIAN national detained during a major crackdown on an alleged fraud call-centre syndicate in Islamabad has been cleared of any involvement, released by Pakistani authorities and returned safely to Malaysia.
Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa said investigations by Pakistani authorities found that the 32-year-old Malaysian had no connection to the scam syndicate under investigation.
He confirmed that the man was the only Malaysian among those detained during the operation.
"He has been released and has returned to Malaysia," he told Bernama today.
Rusdi said CCID officers would record a statement from the man to assist further investigations into the case.
Earlier, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Khalid Ismail said a team of Malaysian police officers had been sent to Pakistan to assist with investigations following the Malaysian's detention.
The man was among 258 foreign nationals detained during a raid conducted by Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency at a residential estate in Gulberg Green, on the outskirts of Islamabad.
The detainees included 170 Vietnamese and 40 Chinese nationals.
Pakistani authorities said members of the syndicate had entered the country on tourist visas before allegedly establishing illegal online scam operations.
The Malaysian police team was dispatched to liaise with international agencies and assist in determining whether transnational criminal syndicates were increasingly recruiting or exploiting foreign nationals across borders. - August 22, 2026
