The involvement of foreign nationals in commercial crimes, including online fraud, has seen a notable rise in Malaysia, with more than 1,000 arrests made in the first five months of 2026, authorities reported. Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa highlighted a significant increase in foreign nationals apprehended for such offences over recent years.
According to Comm Rusdi, the number of foreign nationals arrested surged by 65.3%, from 1,006 in 2024 to 1,663 in 2025. In the first five months of this year alone, 1,462 arrests were recorded, indicating that the trend remains a serious concern for law enforcement in the country.
Despite the sharp rise in numbers, Comm Rusdi cautioned against interpreting the arrest figures as definitive proof that Malaysia has become a new base for international scam operations. He emphasized that each case must be judged individually based on intelligence, investigatory efforts, and evidence collected by the authorities. "Arrest statistics do not necessarily indicate the involvement of all nationals of a particular country in criminal activities," he noted.
Further analysis revealed that most foreign suspects arrested had entered Malaysia on social visit passes (955 individuals), with a smaller number using tourist passes (7 individuals). The highest number of arrests among foreign nationals were recorded among Chinese citizens, accounting for 993 cases, followed by Indonesians (85), Vietnamese (49), Myanmar nationals (42), Bangladeshis (39), and Taiwanese (37).
The cases involving foreign nationals are investigated under various sections of Malaysian law, including Section 420 and Section 417 of the Penal Code, Section 4(1) of the Computer Crimes Act 1997, and Section 424 of the Penal Code, among other provisions related to commercial crime and online fraud.
Comm Rusdi stated that police efforts would continue to focus on strengthening enforcement actions, intelligence gathering, and collaboration with other government agencies to prevent Malaysia from becoming a hub or transit point for international scam syndicates. Engagement with foreign embassies and the Immigration Department is also part of the strategy to curb such criminal activities.
“Our department is committed to ensuring that Malaysia does not become an operational base for these syndicates,” he affirmed, while underscoring ongoing inter-agency cooperation as critical to this goal.