GEORGE TOWN, Nov 2 — Penang police arrested 141 individuals, including nine locals, in 14 raids on call centres suspected of conducting various online scam operations in the state from October 9 to 29.
Penang police chief Datuk Dennis Lim Kwang Keng said the state Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) operation involved five raids in Timur Laut district, six in Barat Daya district, and three in Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT), following intelligence gathering and surveillance.
“In the raids, police arrested 93 Chinese nationals, 29 Vietnamese, four Japanese, three Taiwanese, two Cambodians, one Myanmar national, and nine locals, all aged between 18 and 48.
“They are from different groups or syndicates believed to be involved in investment scams, love scams, impersonation of police officers, and non-existent job offers using various platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok,” he told a press conference at the Penang Contingent Police Headquarters here today.
