Commercial CID director Mortadza Nazarene said there were 56 men and 20 women in the group, with 40 of them from Taiwan. They were detained in police raids conducted at three locations in Taman Melawati Indah and Taman Sri Ukay in Hulu Klang and in Seremban.

He said the syndicate operated from bungalow and double-storey terraced houses equipped with high-speed internet.

Penang police arrested 21 Chinese nationals and a local man believed to be their caterer in a raid on a bungalow in Bayan Lepas at about 9.15pm.

Mortadza said the syndicate preyed on Chinese and Taiwanese nationals. Syndicate members would pose as bank officials or police officers to ask ask the victims to settle their bank loans or outstanding credit card payments.

He said Malaysian police conducted the raid after police in China provided the Internet address of the syndicate’s computer, following complaints from Chinese citizens tricked by the Macau Scam.

— BERNAMA