Kota Kinabalu: A total of 341 individuals were arrested and assets worth more than RM1.1 million were seized in 12 operations conducted under Op Pelican between January and June 8 in a crackdown on scam call centre syndicates.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said the operations, led by the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID), were carried out in Kota Kinabalu, Labuan, Tawau, Sandakan and Penampang following intelligence gathering and continuous surveillance.
He said investigations found the syndicates were involved in various commercial crimes, including non-existent investment schemes, fake share investment scams, love scams, bogus loan offers, police impersonation, online gambling and cross-border fraud activities.
“The syndicates mainly used communication applications such as WhatsApp, Telegram, KakaoTalk, Line, Band and other social media platforms to deceive victims before directing them to transfer money into accounts controlled by the syndicates,” he said.
Jauteh said the victims targeted included Malaysians as well as individuals from South Korea, Taiwan, the United States, Japan, Brazil, Hong Kong and Thailand.
“A total of 341 suspects aged between 17 and 60 were detained, comprising 305 men and 36 women, while 303 were Chinese nationals, 27 Malaysians, nine Vietnamese, one Taiwanese and one Laotian.
“Investigations showed the suspects played various roles, including as operation supervisor, customer service personnel, system programmer, project manager, financial administrator, money courier and individuals responsible for communicating with victims,” he said.
Police also seized 1,109 mobile phones, 128 computers and desktop units, 20 laptops, 18 internet devices, RM210,265 in cash, financial documents, SIM cards, scam scripts and other equipment, totalling 1,542 items.
“The success of Op Pelican reflects the Royal Malaysia Police’s continued commitment to combating commercial crime and calling centre syndicates in Sabah,” Jauteh said.
He said CCID Sabah would continue intensifying intelligence, monitoring and enforcement efforts to ensure the State does not become an operational base for local or international fraud syndicates.
