JOHOR BARU: Johor police dismantled 19 call centres' operations with the arrest of 156 suspects between January and September this year.
The call centres were operated by syndicate members who targeted their victims by offering fraudulent investments and fake jobs.
The activities also involved impersonation, loan and love scams, and phone fraud, causing millions of ringgit in losses.
Johor police chief Datuk M. Kumar said police arrested 157 suspects including foreigners between Jan 1 and Sept 30.
Police opened 19 investigation papers that led to seven suspects charged under the Common Gaming Houses Act, Moneylenders Act and Immigration Act.
Meanwhile, police seized 5.4 tonnes of drugs worth RM57.84 million in the same period.
Also confiscated were drug-related assets valued at RM13.96 million.
He said the state' Criminal Investigation Department reported a 5.61 per cent increase with 4,027 cases in the crime index between January and September as compared to 3,813 cases in the same period last year.
Despite the rise, the department solved 62.63 per cent of the cases.
"The narcotic's department also made significant progress in drug enforcement, with 19,155 suspects arrested with various drug offences this year,"Kumar said during the Johor police contingent headquarters monthly assembly, today.
Earlier, he awarded 49 police officers and members of the public including the New Straits Times Press journalists, with Johor police's appreciation certificates.
Among those who received the certificate were the investigating officers in the six-year-old Albertine Leo Jia Hui kidnap case, who managed to bring 15 charges against the culprits.
Kumar said the officers had worked tirelessly day and night to ensure the investigations were tight without any loop-holes.
Also awarded with certificates were three policemen from the Segamat police district headquarters who reported attempted briberies offers.