Teens among victims rescued in police raids on scam gang, nine arrested

Teens among victims rescued in police raids on scam gang, nine arrested

JOHOR BARU: A pair of teenagers were among three persons, believed to be victims of a scam syndicate’s forced labour and sexual exploitation, rescued in a series of raids here.

Johor police chief Comm Datuk M. Kumar said nine syndicate members comprising seven women and two men aged between 17 and 50 were arrested during Ops Bugil, which was carried out in Kulai and Johor Baru between June 20 and July 1.

“The syndicate has been active since Nov 2024, operating scams by creating fake social media accounts and impersonating attractive women to lure victims into performing sexual acts over video calls.

“At the same time, they would send phishing links to hack victims’ mobile phones, then use the explicit recordings to blackmail them, demanding money in stages,” he said at a press conference at the Johor police headquarters on Monday (July 14).

He added that victims, gripped by fear and emotional distress, would comply with the syndicate’s demands by transferring money into bank accounts provided by the group.

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“The syndicate also recruited underage local workers to work as scammers, offering them monthly salaries between RM2,200 and RM4,000.

“At the initial stage, the victims were trained and assigned to carry out scams locally. Once they became more skilled, they were offered jobs abroad with higher pay around USD2,500 (RM10,637),” he said.

The victims, aged between 15 and 26, were recruited to conduct online sex scams using fake social media accounts to extort money from unsuspecting individuals.

“They were forced to work 12 hours a day, allowed only one day off every two weeks and required to sleep at the workplace. They were not permitted to leave except on designated days off.

“Their identification cards and mobile phones were confiscated.

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“Those who refused to work were physically abused, including being beaten, forced to eat chilli and sexually assaulted. These acts were recorded and used to further blackmail the victims,” he said.

He stressed the victims were also threatened with a RM30,000 penalty if they attempted to quit and were warned against filing police reports.

“Various items were seized, including 27 mobile phones, personal identification documents, flight tickets, money exchange receipts and mixed currencies totalling RM140 along with 1,822 Yuan and 4,370 Baht in cash.

“Also confiscated were a laptop, 49 SIM cards, a Wi-Fi modem, job-related notebooks and a car with its remote control,” he said.

He added that seven out of the nine suspects will be charged at the Johor Baru Magistrate’s Court, Sessions Court, and the Kulai Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday (July 15).

He urged the public not to be easily lured by high-paying job offers, especially those circulated on social media and to always verify the background of any company before accepting such opportunities.

“The public is also advised not to fall for attractive female profiles on social media, as syndicates use fake accounts to send phishing links that steal data from mobile phones before extorting the victims.

“We remain fully committed and will not compromise with any party involved in such crimes, as they threaten national security and public order,” he added.

Comm Datuk Kumar said any information related to such crimes can be channelled to the Johor police hotline at 019-2792095 or the district operations room at 07-2212999.

A pair of teenagers were among three persons, believed to be victims

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