Johor police bust two scam call centres, arresting 335 suspects; one rented 27 apartments in Forest City

JOHOR, MALAYSIA: Johor police have dismantled two alleged online scam syndicates operating from Forest City and Gelang Patah, arresting 335 suspects in an operation described as the largest online scam call-centre case uncovered in the state.

The suspects were arrested during a large-scale operation on 15 July 2026 involving 32 premises in the Iskandar Puteri area.

The operation involved simultaneous raids on 27 residential apartment units and five bungalows allegedly used as operational centres by the two separate syndicates.

Johor police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the operation resulted in the arrest of 335 people aged between 20 and 58.

The arrests included 309 Chinese nationals, 19 Indonesian nationals, four Myanmar nationals and three Malaysian nationals, according to police information presented after the raids.

Ab Rahaman said the operation was conducted by the Johor Commercial Crime Investigation Department and Criminal Investigation Department after police obtained intelligence on the alleged activities.

“This operation had successfully crippled two different syndicates that carried out online scam activities such as fake cryptocurrency investment offers and ‘love scams’ targeting victims from abroad, especially China and Indonesia,” he said.

The Johor police chief was speaking at a press conference at the Johor police contingent headquarters on 28 July.

Two separate syndicates identified

According to Ab Rahaman, police investigations found that the two groups operated separately and used different methods to target overseas victims.

The first syndicate allegedly operated from 27 apartment units in Forest City, in the Tanjung Kupang area, which were rented through a company owned by a Chinese national.

Police said the group primarily targeted victims in China and Indonesia through alleged cryptocurrency investment scams and love scams.

The syndicate allegedly used Telegram, WhatsApp and TikTok to identify and approach potential victims before offering non-existent investment returns.

Members were allegedly recruited as client-finding agents and promised monthly salaries ranging from RM2,500 to RM4,000.

Police also said some members could receive additional commissions if they achieved specified targets.

Ab Rahaman said the first group had 279 suspects, comprising 255 Chinese nationals, 19 Indonesian nationals, four Myanmar nationals and one Malaysian national.

The second syndicate allegedly operated from five detached houses in Gelang Patah and was suspected of impersonating a law firm while also conducting investment and cryptocurrency-related scams.

Police said the group targeted victims in China and other overseas locations.

A separate account of the second operation said victims included people from China, Japan, Australia and the United States, with individual houses allegedly assigned to target victims from particular countries.

Police said 56 people were arrested in connection with the second syndicate, comprising 54 Chinese nationals and two Malaysian nationals.

The figures presented for the two groups differ from the overall arrest breakdown given by police, which recorded 335 arrests comprising 309 Chinese nationals, 19 Indonesian nationals, four Myanmar nationals and three Malaysians.

Police seizures and investigation papers

During the raids, police seized 313 computers, 1,557 mobile phones, 17 laptops, 10 modems, one monitor, one central processing unit and a Mazda CX-8 sport utility vehicle.

The seized items and other equipment were estimated to be worth about RM1 million.

A separate account of the second operation said police recovered nearly 1,000 computers and mobile phones from the premises, with the total value of seized items exceeding RM1 million (approx. US$ 244,558).

Police opened 23 investigation papers under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, Section 120B of the Penal Code for criminal conspiracy and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

Ab Rahaman said that, as of 27 July, 14 investigation papers had been referred to the Deputy Public Prosecutor's office.

Orders to charge had been obtained against 194 accused, he said.

Of those, 159 people were scheduled to be charged at the Johor Bahru Magistrates' Court on 28 July, while another 35 were scheduled to face charges on 29 July.

The charges include offences under Section 120B(1) of the Penal Code concerning criminal conspiracy and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

Suspected masterminds remain at large

Ab Rahaman said investigators believed the main mastermind behind the syndicate remained at large.

Police are pursuing efforts to identify and locate the suspected mastermind, including through cooperation with Interpol.

The police chief said the first syndicate had rented an entire five-storey building containing 27 apartment units in Forest City.

The property was allegedly rented collectively by a company belonging to a Chinese national, whom police are now attempting to trace.

The five detached houses used by the second syndicate were reportedly rented by different individuals, and police are also seeking to locate those tenants.

Police said the groups had been operating locally for about one month.

Some foreign suspects were believed to have entered Malaysia using social visit passes, while others allegedly could not produce valid travel documents.

The three Malaysian suspects arrested in the overall operation were believed to have provided local support, including assistance with property rentals and logistical arrangements.

Police said further arrests remained possible.

Authorities warn against scam bases in Malaysia

Ab Rahaman stressed that the two syndicates were separate from the Network School, another operation previously associated with Forest City.

He also said there was currently no evidence linking the two dismantled syndicates to other scam groups previously exposed in the area.

Police are continuing to investigate whether the two syndicates had any connection to each other, although available information indicated they operated separately.

The authorities' position is that Malaysia, particularly Johor, must not become a base for international scam operations, even when the alleged victims are located overseas.

He urged members of the public with information about suspected scam activities to report it to police.

The force is also expected to continue working with Interpol in efforts to trace suspected individuals involved in the alleged cross-border scam networks.

Concerns over regional relocation

The continuing series of raids has reinforced concerns that organised scam syndicates are adapting to intensified law enforcement efforts across Southeast Asia by relocating their operations.

Recent crackdowns along the Thai-Myanmar border, as well as in Cambodia and Laos, have disrupted numerous large-scale scam compounds linked to online fraud.

Earlier in June, a Malaysian anti-trafficking non-governmental organisation alleged that criminal groups displaced from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar could be shifting operations into Malaysia.

The allegation prompted police to call for intelligence and evidence while increasing scrutiny of possible cross-border movements by organised criminal networks.

In recent months, Malaysian authorities have uncovered alleged scam centres targeting victims in China, Singapore, Indonesia, Italy and Spain.

Investigations indicate that many of the operations specialised in cryptocurrency investment fraud, romance scams, fake employment offers and other forms of online deception.