KUALA LUMPUR: In what authorities are saying is a cross-border cyber crime ring, 12 Chinese nationals have been arrested by Malaysia police in what appears to be some form of telecom fraud. Police told Bikyanews.com on Saturday they believe those arrested are part of a syndicate that was doing illegal business between the two countries. The Chinese – aged between 19 and 36 – were operating from a bungalow near Kuala Lumpur, China's Xinhua news agency cited the crime investigation department as saying. They impersonated Malaysian investigators to cheat victims on the phone and demanded them to transfer funds to the suspects' bank account. Authorities said the suspects were “well-trained” and threatened to freeze their victims' bank accounts for three to five years if they defied the instructions. Most of the victims are also believed to be Chinese. Police seized 41 landline phones, 21 mobile phones, laptops, broadband devices, printers and documents when they raided the bungalow. Police are still investigating the amount of money the suspects have swindled. Over the last year, Malaysian authorities have arrested at least 240 people and busted 204 telecom fraud syndicates that swindled 3.5 million ringgit ($1.16 million). In 2011, authorities brought down 170 similar syndicates that raked in three million ringgit ($1 million). Bikyanews.com
