A SCAM operation in Kulim allegedly impersonating police officers from India cheated 73 victims in India out of nearly RM1.4 million, prompting Malaysian police to arrest 53 people in raids on a suspected call centre and follow-up operation.
Kedah police chief Datuk Adzli Abu Shah said 48 suspected syndicate members, aged between 20 and 43, were arrested when police raided five three-storey shoplots in Bandar Putra, Kulim, at about 8pm last Friday.
A further five Malaysians, aged between 44 and 51, were arrested in a follow-up operation on Sunday. They comprised two men and three women believed to be linked to the premises as owners, a property agent and tenants.
The syndicate is believed to have been operating since late August, using video calls, Indian police uniforms and a flag bearing the emblem of India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to convince victims they were dealing with genuine law enforcement officers.
“Victims were told that their telephone numbers were linked to criminal offences in India and were instructed to transfer money from their bank accounts to accounts provided by the suspects, supposedly for police investigations,” Adzli told a press conference at the Kedah police contingent headquarters today.
The 48 people arrested in the initial raid comprised seven Malaysian men, 28 Pakistani men and five Pakistani women, as well as six Indian men and two Indian women.
Police seized 89 mobile phones, seven laptops, modems, routers, monitors, three Indian police uniform shirts, two caps and a CBI flag. The total value of the seized items was estimated at RM70,000.
Adzli said analysis of the equipment and scripts recovered during the raid indicated that 73 people in India had been targeted, suffering combined losses of nearly RM1.4 million, equivalent to 33 million rupees.
Some of the foreign nationals arrested claimed they had applied for telemarketing jobs advertised on social media and were subsequently added to Telegram groups, where they were promised monthly salaries of between RM2,500 and RM3,500.
“None of the foreign nationals involved could produce valid travel documents,” he said.
The syndicate allegedly rented the three-storey premises for about RM15,000 a month. The suspects were believed to have remained inside the building, where a canteen was provided, Adzli said.
He added that information from members of the public who noticed suspicious activity at the premises helped police carry out the operation.
The 48 suspects arrested in the initial raid were remanded for four days until Tuesday to assist investigations.
The case is being investigated under Sections 420 and 120B of the Penal Code for cheating and criminal conspiracy, as well as Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. - October 12, 2026