In the Dec 10 operation, police stormed a four-storey building rented by the syndicate in Inanam, on the outskirts of the city, and rounded up 26 Chinese nationals and three Filipinos.

This comes after a raid two days earlier where police also detained 23 Chinese nationals in connection with illegal online gambling in Penampang near here.

Sabah deputy police chief Zaini Jass said in the latest case, police seized 20 computers, 208 mobile phones, several money transfer devices and RM20,280.

“We believe the syndicate had been using the building as a call centre since last October.

“They are actually targeting Chinese punters back home as their main clients,” he told reporters at the state police headquarters in Kepayan here today.

He said the suspects, aged between 14 and 52, included five women.

Police also found suspected methamphetamine on one of the suspects.

Zaini said the 26 Chinese nationals possessed valid travel documents but will nonetheless be probed under the Immigration Act 1963 for abusing their social visit passes.

On Oct 23, police arrested 80 Chinese nationals for alleged involvement in a Macau scam syndicate. A local professional here was milked of RM1.4 million by such a scam recently.

Almost all of them were later charged with illegal entry and overstaying in Sabah.