Human trafficking syndicates exploit foreign workers for online scams

Law enforcement agencies in Malaysia and Indonesia have uncovered operations where foreign workers are lured by high-salary promises only to be forced into illegal online scamming and gambling activities.

In Kedah, Malaysia, police arrested three Pakistani nationals in Sungai Petani for operating an online gambling call center. The suspects, who previously worked in construction and service industries, were reportedly offered RM3,600 per month to manage gambling credit top-ups. The syndicate targeted the Nepalese market, generating approximately US$47,505 in profit over three months. Authorities are currently searching for a local individual believed to be managing the operation.

In Indonesia, police in Mojokerto dismantled a human trafficking syndicate operating out of a villa in Tretes. The group recruited 22 foreign nationals from the Philippines and Taiwan via social media, promising lucrative call center jobs in Cambodia. Instead, victims were forced to perform online scams by impersonating FBI agents to extort elderly citizens in the United States. The victims were reportedly subjected to physical and psychological abuse after their passports were seized.