Police Raid 'Ghost Town' Scam Operations in Johor, Arrest 335 Including 19 Indonesians
Malaysian police have dismantled two online scam syndicates operating in the Forest City area of Iskandar Puteri, Johor, in a large-scale operation that led to the arrest of 335 individuals. The majority of those arrested are foreign nationals suspected of running cross-border fraud schemes targeting victims abroad, particularly in China and Indonesia.
Johor Police Chief Ab Rahaman Arsad stated that the raid on the so-called ‘ghost town’ took place on 15 July. The operation targeted 27 apartment units and five bungalows believed to be the operational hubs for the two syndicates.
‘This operation successfully crippled two different syndicates running online fraud activities, such as fake cryptocurrency investment schemes and love scams targeting victims from abroad, specifically China and Indonesia,’ Rahaman said.
Of the total suspects arrested, 309 are Chinese nationals, 19 are Indonesian nationals, four are Myanmar nationals, and the remainder are Malaysian nationals. They range in age from 20 to 58 years. A total of 159 suspects were scheduled for prosecution on Tuesday, while others are still undergoing legal proceedings.
Rahaman confirmed that the two syndicates have no connection to the Network School digital nomad community, which was previously ordered to cease operations in Forest City after its business licence was revoked by the state government. Police also seized 313 computers, 1,557 mobile phones, 17 laptops, various other electronic equipment, and a Mazda CX-8 as evidence.
He explained that the first syndicate involved 279 suspects allegedly running fake crypto investment scams and love scams. The second syndicate comprised 56 individuals, including 54 foreign nationals, who posed as job recruitment agents while offering fictitious crypto investments to victims.
Rahaman also revealed that several suspects were found to lack valid travel documents. To date, police have opened 23 investigation files related to fraud and immigration violations. Fourteen investigation papers have been submitted to the public prosecutor. From this process, authorities have issued prosecution orders for 194 suspects, while 35 others are scheduled to face trial at the Johor Bahru Magistrates’ Court. Nine other files are still awaiting instructions from the deputy public prosecutor’s office.
Rahaman added that the masterminds behind the two syndicates remain at large. Police are continuing to hunt the main perpetrators, including through cooperation with Interpol to track their whereabouts across multiple countries. In recent months, Malaysian authorities have observed a shift of transnational scam and online gambling syndicates into Malaysia and Indonesia following intensified crackdowns on such activities in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos.