{
  "id": 17791796,
  "title": "Investment, love and job scams: Nine locals among 141 arrested as Penang police bust 14 online call centres",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/investment-love-and-job-scams-nine-locals-among-141-arrested-as",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-02T11:55:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/11/02/investment-love-scams-nine-locals-among-141-arrested-as-penang-police-bust-14-online-call-centres/241730"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "George Town, November 2 — Police in Penang have arrested 141 people, including nine locals, in 14 raids targeting call centres accused of running online scams, according to Datuk Dennis Lim Kwang Keng, the state's Chief of Police. The operation lasted from October 9 to 29 and involved intelligence gathering and surveillance leading to the raids. Of the arrested, 93 were Chinese nationals, 29 were Vietnamese, and the remaining were from Japan, Taiwan, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Malaysia. The suspects, aged between 18 and 48, were allegedly involved in investment scams, love scams, impersonating police officers, and offering non-existent job opportunities on platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. The syndicates reportedly rented homes in Penang for their operations, targeting victims primarily overseas. Police seized equipment, including mobile phones, laptops, tablets, and computer accessories, valued at RM1.4 million. The investigation is ongoing, focusing on potential immigration pass abuse and illegal activities, while all suspects have been remanded.",
  "summary": "GEORGE TOWN, Nov 2 — Penang police arrested 141 individuals, including nine locals, in 14 raids on call centres su...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "28-year-old drug courier arrested with 40kg of cannabis buds at Penang airport",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/28-year-old-drug-courier-arrested-with-40kg-of-cannabis-buds-at",
        "published": "2026-11-02T10:17:11.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}