Malaysia Immigration Raids Homestay Call Centre And Arrests 34 Over South Korea Investment Scam

Malaysian authorities raided a homestay operating as an illegal call centre, arresting 34 individuals linked to fraudulent investment schemes targeting South Korean nationals. Investigators uncovered an operations hub utilizing social media and messaging apps to promise high returns over short periods.

Immigration Raids Expose Syndicate Operations

The operation in Kuala Lumpur was executed by officers from the Immigration Department Intelligence and Special Operations Division, alongside the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission in Cyberjaya and state immigration personnel following a month of intelligence gathering. Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban stated that the syndicate used the homestay to evade detection.

Those detained include 31 Chinese nationals consisting of 29 men and two women, one Taiwanese man, and two local men aged between 20 and 51. Initial checks revealed that three Chinese men had overstayed their permits, while remaining foreign nationals did not have valid travel documents or passes to remain in the country. The two local men allegedly received RM3,000 to guard the premises, supervise workers, and deliver food.

Seized Equipment and Strict Internal Rules

Investigators found that syndicate operators were assigned three main roles: handling customer service, managing investment-related information, and maintaining customer data. Workers operated daily from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM and were allegedly prohibited from leaving the premises during working hours.

During the raid, authorities seized 309 mobile phones, 45 computers, five routers, a gigabit switch, a portable WiFi device, three Chinese passports, a gate remote control, and 21 notebooks containing instructions on how to defraud victims. The total value of seized items reached an estimated RM318,600.

Broader Enforcement Actions Across Melaka

Separate enforcement actions across Melaka uncovered additional scam operations targeting victims in Vietnam and China. Melaka Tengah district police chief Assistant Commissioner Halim Abas announced that 15 individuals—comprising 14 Vietnamese nationals and one Chinese man—were arrested during a raid on a resort bungalow in Ayer Keroh. The Ayer Keroh group allegedly operated a scam network targeting Vietnamese citizens since early this month.

In a separate operation on October 20, local police detained 14 Chinese nationals across four hotel rooms in Melaka Raya. That group allegedly ran an online investment scam targeting Chinese nationals since mid-September.

Pending Legal Action

Local authorities have initiated criminal and immigration proceedings. The two local men detained in the Kuala Lumpur homestay raid face suspected offenses under Section 56(1)(d) of the Immigration Act, while foreign suspects face charges under Sections 6(1)(c) and 15(1)(c).

In Melaka, suspects are investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating alongside immigration violations.