GEORGE TOWN: Eleven people, including 10 Chinese nationals, were detained at their rented luxury home in Batu Ferringhi here on suspicion of carrying out investment promotion scam late last night.
Aside from a local man, others detained were six Chinese national men and four Chinese national women, aged between 25 and 53.
State Criminal Investigation Department chief Datuk Zainol Samah said based on initial investigation, those detained admitted to working for a syndicate based in Cambodia for the past few months.
He said the local man had recently started work as a driver to the syndicate, drawing a monthly salary of RM3,500.
"The syndicate's target are their own Chinese nationals. Each of the syndicate member can rake in profit up to RM15,000 monthly, which will be paid through bank transaction.
"All those detained admitted to their role of getting customers from China to be introduced to the syndicate in Cambodia," he said.
Zainol said all the Chinese nationals were staying at the luxury home, rented for RM13,000 monthly.
"They used the luxury home as their base to evade detection by the authorities.They also admitted to operating round-the-clock and the commissions received were based on the customers they brought in.
"Checks showed all of them entered Malaysia in January, prior to the Movement Control Order (MCO), using social visit passes. Only one of them did not possess a passport during the raid," he added.
Zainol said police seized four laptops, two desktops, four cellphones and five modems during the raid.
"All those detained have yet to reveal the full extent of their activities and the investigation is ongoing.
"We have also roped in an expert to analyse the items seized for investigation purposes," he said, adding all
those detained had been taken to the northeast district police headquarters.
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Aside from a local man, others detained were six Chinese national men and four Chinese national women, aged between 25 and 53. - NSTP/Courtesy of PDRM
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