SCAM SUSPECTS FROM NINE COUNTRIES
In Malaysia, the 187 suspects arrested in Klang Valley on May 6 and 7 are from nine countries.
They include 127 Chinese nationals, 23 Malaysians, nine Japanese, eight Vietnamese and seven Indonesians, local news outlets reported. The others were from Laos, Thailand, the Philippines and Myanmar. They comprise 151 men and 36 women.
According to Malaysia’s Immigration Department website, a visa is not required for a stay of less than one month for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nationals except Myanmar.
Last April, it was announced travellers from Malaysia and China would enjoy five more years of visa-free travel when visiting each other’s countries, thanks to a new mutual visa exemption agreed during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Malaysia.
“The visa exemption allows Chinese tourists to stay in Malaysia for up to 90 days, and China has offered a similar arrangement for Malaysians,” Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said on Apr 22 last year.
Japan citizens also do not need a visa to enter Malaysia for social visits not exceeding 90 days, according to Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry website.
LUXURY PROPERTIES, VEHICLES SEIZED
In the dragnet, Malaysian police seized three luxury properties worth RM38 million, 20 luxury vehicles valued at RM6.58million, luxury goods estimated at RM12 million and 556 digital devices, Mohd Khalid told the media.
The syndicates ran investment scams, phone and love scams as well as online gambling activities, he said. Some impersonated Japanese police officers through applications such as Telegram, Line and Bria Mobile.
Preliminary investigations show their victims were from Hong Kong, China, South Korea and Japan, Malay Mail reported.
“Investigations are ongoing to identify the masterminds, financial structures and international criminal links behind these syndicates,” Mohd Khalid said.
