TLDR
- Johor police have successfully uncovered an online sexual extortion syndicate believed to have caused more than RM3 million in losses since 2024.
- The syndicate used tactics such as posing as women to lure victims into explicit video calls, then threatening to expose the recordings in exchange for ransom payments.
- Six suspects have been arrested, all of whom are also linked to offences such as human trafficking and producing child pornography, while five others are still being hunted by police.
The police have busted an extortion ring that used online sexual blackmail tactics following a raid in Johor last month.
According to a report by FMT, six suspects aged 18 to 33 were arrested in the operation conducted in January. The syndicate is believed to have been active since 2024 and is estimated to have caused over RM3 million in losses.
Image Credit: Malay Mail
Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail said the group posed as women online to lure victims before persuading them to engage in explicit video calls.
At the same time, the syndicate sent phishing links to victims, allowing them to hack into the victims’ phones and access personal data.
The group then used the recorded explicit videos to threaten victims, warning that the footage would be exposed unless payment was made.
Despite dismantling part of the syndicate, police said five other members, including the alleged 23-year-old Malaysian leader, have yet to be arrested.
Image Credit: China Press
Also involved in human trafficking
The six suspects arrested have multiple prior criminal records, including human trafficking and producing child pornography.
Khalid Ismail also revealed that the same syndicate had been involved in human trafficking, recruiting unsuspecting Malaysians to work for scam operations in Laos and Cambodia.
“Victims are forced to work up to 12 hours a day, with their movements restricted and their identification documents confiscated. They were also subjected to physical and even sexual abuse if they did not comply with orders."
"For those who wanted to stop working as scammers, they were told they needed to pay RM30,000,” he said.
Further investigations showed that the six suspects arrested in Johor have multiple criminal records between them, including offences related to human trafficking, producing child pornography, and gang robbery.
Featured Image Credit: Freepik, China Press
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