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The Star
15-07-2025
- The Star
Teen dropouts lured into working for sex scam syndicate
JOHOR: Teenage school dropouts were among those lured by supposedly high-paying jobs offered by a syndicate running a sex scam. These teenagers were recruited through social media with promises of a monthly salary of RM2,200 to RM4,000, said Johor police chief Comm Datuk M. Kumar. They were also told that they could earn up to US$2,500 (RM10,637) once they became more skilled and were sent to work abroad, he added. In reality, these recruits were trained to 'hunt' for victims via fake social media accounts and persuade them to perform sexual acts on video, he said yesterday. Comm Kumar said these recruits were confined and made to work for the syndicate for 12 hours a day. 'If they refused to cooperate, they were beaten, forced to eat chillies and subjected to sexual abuse. They were only allowed a day off after two weeks of work but even then, their movements were strictly monitored,' he said. He said the recruits' mobile phones and identification cards were confiscated by syndicate members, thus preventing them from seeking help. 'If they wanted to quit, they had to pay RM30,000 to be released from employment,' he said. Comm Kumar said the syndicate's modus operandi was to create fake social media accounts of attractive women to entice people into making sexually explicit video calls. 'During the video call, the syndicate member would persuade the victim to perform sexual acts, all of which were recorded and later used to blackmail him for money,' he said. 'The syndicate member would send phishing links to hack into the victim's mobile phone. Once the person clicked on the link, the syndicate would hack into his mobile phone, gaining access to the contact list and photo gallery.' The syndicate would then threaten to distribute the videos to the victim's entire contact list if he refused to pay up. They would attempt to extort the victim by asking for RM500 to RM1,000 each time, he said. Based on police intelligence, Comm Kumar said a series of raids were carried out between June 20 and July 1 around Johor Baru and Kulai. This led to the arrest of seven men and two women aged between 17 and 50, including the mastermind of the syndicate, which had been active since November last year. He said three recruits aged 15, 16 and 26, who had also been sexually exploited, were also rescued. He urged the public not to be easily taken in by high-paying job offers, especially those circulated on social media, and to always verify the background of these so-called companies. 'And do not be misled by the profiles of seemingly attractive women on social media, as syndicates use fake accounts to send phishing links that steal data from mobile phones before extorting from you,' he said.
Sinar Daily
14-07-2025
- Sinar Daily
Sexual blackmail syndicate busted, victims tortured and forced to eat chillies
Police rescued two teenage victims, a 15-year-old boy and 16-year-old girl, who had endured physical abuse, sexual exploitation and psychological torment at the hands of the syndicate. M Kumar (left) presenting a flow chart detailing the operations of a sexual extortion syndicate during a press conference on the success of recent drug seizures and criminal crackdowns under Op Bugil at the Johor Police Contingent Headquarters today. Photo by Bernama JOHOR BAHRU – Police have dismantled a criminal syndicate involved in sexual blackmail and online fraud following a series of raids across Kulai and Johor Bahru between June 20 and July 1. Johor police chief Datuk M Kumar said that nine local comprising seven men and two women aged 17 to 59 were arrested in joint operations led by Johor's D7 Division alongside criminal investigation units from Kulai and South Johor Bahru districts. Police rescued two teenage victims, a 15-year-old boy and 16-year-old girl, who had endured physical abuse, sexual exploitation and psychological torment at the hands of the syndicate. 'Initial investigations revealed that the syndicate began operating actively in Nov 2024, using a modus operandi that involved posing as attractive women through fake social media accounts to lure victims into performing sexually explicit video calls. 'At the same time, the syndicate would send phishing links to hack into the victims' mobile phones, then use the recordings of the explicit calls to blackmail them, demanding money in stages. 'Overwhelmed by emotional distress and fear, the victims eventually transferred funds into the syndicate's accounts as instructed,' he said during a press conference at the Johor Police Contingent Headquarters on Monday. M Kumar (centre) during a press conference at the Johor Police Contingent Headquarters on Monday. Photo by Bernama During the operation, police confiscated a range of items, including 27 mobile phones of various brands, identity documents, flight tickets, currency exchange receipts, and cash in multiple denominations, RM140, 1,822 yuan, and 4,370 baht. Authorities also seized a laptop, 49 SIM cards, a modem, job record books and a vehicle. Police investigations uncovered that the criminal network maintained active connections in both Laos and Thailand while systematically recruiting local workers, including minors to serve as scammers. 'The syndicate lured potential recruits with false promises of monthly salaries ranging between RM2,200 to RM4,000, while also offering deceptive overseas employment opportunities boasting earnings of up to USD$2,500 (approximately RM10,637). 'The two rescued teenage victims endured horrific abuse including physical beatings, forced nudity, sexual violence, and being compelled to eat chillies as punishment. 'The victims, both school dropouts, faced additional extortion attempts, with syndicate members demanding RM30,000 as a purported "release fee" to terminate their forced employment,' he said. The case is being investigated under Sections 5, 10, and 15(f) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, as well as Sections 12 and 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007. The suspects also face charges under Section 324 of the Penal Code, Regulation 25(1)(o) of the National Registration Regulations 1990 (Amendment 2007), and Section 12(1)(f) of the Passport Act 1966.
The Star
14-07-2025
- The Star
Teens among victims rescued in police raids on scam gang, nine arrested
JOHOR BARU: A pair of teenagers were among three persons, believed to be victims of a scam syndicate's forced labour and sexual exploitation, rescued in a series of raids here. Johor police chief Comm Datuk M. Kumar said nine syndicate members comprising seven women and two men aged between 17 and 50 were arrested during Ops Bugil, which was carried out in Kulai and Johor Baru between June 20 and July 1. 'The syndicate has been active since Nov 2024, operating scams by creating fake social media accounts and impersonating attractive women to lure victims into performing sexual acts over video calls. 'At the same time, they would send phishing links to hack victims' mobile phones, then use the explicit recordings to blackmail them, demanding money in stages,' he said at a press conference at the Johor police headquarters on Monday (July 14). He added that victims, gripped by fear and emotional distress, would comply with the syndicate's demands by transferring money into bank accounts provided by the group. 'The syndicate also recruited underage local workers to work as scammers, offering them monthly salaries between RM2,200 and RM4,000. 'At the initial stage, the victims were trained and assigned to carry out scams locally. Once they became more skilled, they were offered jobs abroad with higher pay around USD2,500 (RM10,637),' he said. The victims, aged between 15 and 26, were recruited to conduct online sex scams using fake social media accounts to extort money from unsuspecting individuals. 'They were forced to work 12 hours a day, allowed only one day off every two weeks and required to sleep at the workplace. They were not permitted to leave except on designated days off. 'Their identification cards and mobile phones were confiscated. 'Those who refused to work were physically abused, including being beaten, forced to eat chilli and sexually assaulted. These acts were recorded and used to further blackmail the victims,' he said. He stressed the victims were also threatened with a RM30,000 penalty if they attempted to quit and were warned against filing police reports. 'Various items were seized, including 27 mobile phones, personal identification documents, flight tickets, money exchange receipts and mixed currencies totalling RM140 along with 1,822 Yuan and 4,370 Baht in cash. 'Also confiscated were a laptop, 49 SIM cards, a Wi-Fi modem, job-related notebooks and a car with its remote control,' he said. He added that seven out of the nine suspects will be charged at the Johor Baru Magistrate's Court, Sessions Court, and the Kulai Magistrate's Court on Tuesday (July 15). He urged the public not to be easily lured by high-paying job offers, especially those circulated on social media and to always verify the background of any company before accepting such opportunities. 'The public is also advised not to fall for attractive female profiles on social media, as syndicates use fake accounts to send phishing links that steal data from mobile phones before extorting the victims. 'We remain fully committed and will not compromise with any party involved in such crimes, as they threaten national security and public order,' he added. Comm Datuk Kumar said any information related to such crimes can be channelled to the Johor police hotline at 019-2792095 or the district operations room at 07-2212999.
Hans India
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Previous YSRCP govt failed to handover TIDCO houses to beneficiaries
Visakhapatnam: Housing Minister K Parthasarathy criticised the previous the YSRCP government for not handing over TIDCO houses to the beneficiaries during its tenure. Speaking at a District Cooperative Central Bank (DCCB) loan distribution programme organised in Madugula of Anakapalli district on Monday, the Minister said that the NDA government would provide necessary infrastructure in the housing colonies given to the eligible poor. He mentioned that the TDP government had completed 70 per cent of TIDCO houses during its previous tenure. Soon, they will be completed and handed over to the beneficiaries. Further, the Minister informed that this year, the NDA government would provide Rs 1,400 crore to the farmers as loans through DCCB. He stated that the government was working sincerely in implementation of Super Six schemes and working towards the goal of creating 20 lakh jobs in five years. Also, Parthasarathy informed that free RTC bus travel will be provided to women from August 15. 'We will distribute the farmers' insurance funds this month. In addition, we have paid Rs.1,637 crore that the previous government had kept as arrears to paddy farmers,' the Minister said. The Housing Minister assured that the NDA government will implement all schemes as promised. MLA Bandaru Satayanarayana Murthy and DCCB chairman Kona Tatarao were present.
TimesLIVE
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
China's EV competition challenges Thailand's local production targets
Hyper-competition in China's electric vehicle sector is spilling over to its biggest market in Asia, Thailand, as smaller players struggle to compete with dominant BYD, putting ambitious local production plans at risk. Neta, among the earliest Chinese EV brands to enter Thailand in 2022, is an example of a struggling carmaker finding it difficult to meet the requirements of a demanding government incentive programme meant to boost Thai EV production. Under the scheme, carmakers are exempt from import duties, but were obligated to match import volumes with domestic production in 2024. Citing slowing sales and tightening credit conditions, carmakers asked the government to adjust the scheme and the 2024 production shortfall was rolled over into this year. Neta said it cannot produce the required number of cars locally and the government has withheld some payments to the EV maker, said excise department official Panupong Sriket, who received a complaint filed last month by 18 Neta dealers in Thailand seeking to recover more than 200 million baht (R109,637,815) of allegedly unpaid debt. The complaint, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters, also detailed missed payments by Neta related to promised support for building showrooms and after-sales service. 'I stopped ordering more cars in September because I sensed something was wrong,' said Neta dealership owner Saravut Khunpitiluck. 'I'm suing them.' Neta's parent company, Zhejiang Hozon New Energy Automobile, entered bankruptcy proceedings in China last month, according to state media.
