(Johor, July 28) — A luxury apartment block in Forest City that was meant to house residents instead became the operational hub of a large-scale scam network, according to details emerging from the recent Forest City scam bust that has gripped Johor.
All 27 units within the five-storey building were occupied by members of a syndicate running cryptocurrency investment fraud and so-called "pig-butchering" romance scams, primarily aimed at victims in China and Indonesia. In total, 279 suspects were arrested at the site, with recruitment carried out through platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp and TikTok, offering monthly pay of RM2,500 to RM4,000.
Of those arrested, 255 were Chinese nationals, alongside 19 Indonesians, four Myanmar nationals and one Malaysian. Many had entered the country only weeks earlier, with some using social visit passes and others lacking valid documentation altogether — a pattern police believe reflects deliberate efforts by the syndicate to recruit short-term, easily replaceable foreign workers.
Notably, the entire block was rented out under a single company linked to a Chinese national, pointing to a coordinated leasing arrangement rather than a loosely organised gathering. That individual, believed to be central to the operation, remains at large, and police say tracking down this figure is now a priority.
Alongside the Tebrau site, the Forest City raid contributed to a combined seizure of equipment worth an estimated RM1 million, including computers, phones and other devices used to run the scam operation around the clock.
Johor police chief Datuk Rahman described the case as the largest scam call centre bust recorded in the state, warning that Malaysia will not be allowed to serve as a launchpad for global scam operations. Several suspects have already been charged in court under provisions covering criminal conspiracy to cheat and illegal entry, with the investigation ongoing.
Authorities say they will continue working with Interpol to trace the international financial flows connected to the syndicate, as well as identifying the full extent of its victim base across China and Indonesia.