Kedah Police Cripple Seven Online Scam Call Centres, Arresting 87 Suspects

ALOR SETAR, Nov 4 – Kedah police have successfully dismantled seven online scam syndicates operating through secretive call centres between January and October 2026, arresting a total of 87 suspects.

The successful operations were detailed by Kedah Police Chief Datuk Adzli Abu Shah during a press conference in Alor Setar on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.

The arrested individuals comprise 75 men and 12 women of diverse nationalities:

• Pakistan: 33 nationals
• Malaysia: 27 nationals
• China: 15 nationals
• India: 8 nationals
• Bangladesh: 4 nationals

“Investigations revealed that the suspects used various tactics and modus operandi, including communication facilities and technology, to deceive victims for illicit financial gain,” Adzli stated. “Their modus operandi included the misuse of financial transactions in the banking sector, offers of non-existent lottery numbers, love scams, fake part-time job offers and telecommunications scams involving individuals impersonating enforcement officers.”

Adzli highlighted that interrogations revealed the syndicates targeted victims both domestically and internationally across Thailand, Japan, China, Australia, India, and Bangladesh.

During the raids, police confiscated equipment valued at approximately RM300,000, including computers, mobile phones, network modems, prepaid SIM cards, and enforcement agency uniforms used for impersonation schemes.

“Recent trends show that syndicates are choosing hotels or abandoned resorts as locations for their call centres because they offer more privacy, ample space and easier security control,” Adzli added, urging property owners and landlords to report suspicious tenancy activities. All 87 suspects have been charged under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Penal Code, as well as the Immigration Act 1959/63.

In a separate but related raid at 12:25 AM on Monday, November 2, 2026, police arrested three Pakistani men aged 21 to 23 for running an online gambling call centre out of a shoplot in Sungai Petani.

Operating through the domain evobet33.com, the syndicate generated RM193,675 in illicit profits over three months by targeting online gamblers in Nepal, where gambling is illegal. The three operators were paid RM3,600 monthly and have been remanded until November 15 under the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, the Immigration Act, the Penal Code, and the Electricity Supply Act 1990.

Call Centre Operations, Nationality Breakdown, and Seizure Metrics

Key operational parameters, suspect demographics, and gambling raid metrics include:

• Total Call Centre Arrests: 87 suspects (75 males, 12 females) across 7 separate syndicates dismantled from January to October 2026.
• Nationalities Involved: 33 Pakistanis, 27 Malaysians, 15 Chinese, 8 Indians, 4 Bangladeshis.
• Target International Markets: Victims targeted in Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, China, Australia, India, and Bangladesh.
• Seized Hardware & Value: RM300,000 worth of computers, mobile phones, modems, SIM cards, and fake enforcement uniforms.
• Sungai Petani Gambling Raid: 3 Pakistani operators arrested running evobet33.com targeting Nepalese gamblers; RM193,675 in profits generated; suspects remanded to Nov 15.

–NMT