KUALA LUMPUR: The police are calling for landlords who rent out their properties to criminals, including scam syndicates, to be held accountable for their actions. Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf revealed that they are pushing for the possibility of putting the liability on the owners. “We have encountered many cases where such houses and apartments are being used as scam call centres,” he said in an interview.
Comm Ramli discussed a recent incident where more than 20 scammers were detained for renting out several houses to operate as call centers, emphasizing that this practice needs to stop. He highlighted the willingness of some syndicates to pay a high rate of rent but urged owners and property agents to consider more than just making a profit. “In some instances, the syndicates would place 65 people in several housing units, in other instances, 20 people,” he added.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Comm Datuk Allaudeen Abdul Majid expressed surprise that many of the scam call centers raided in the city were located in luxury condominiums and apartments. He emphasized that such criminals should not be allowed to operate in prestigious locations, and he has instructed KL CCID to step up operations against the call centers in the city. So far, KL CCID has conducted 1,311 raids on online crime syndicates in the city, detaining 855 people for their involvement in scam call centers.
Additionally, Universiti Sains Malaysia criminologist Datuk Dr P. Sundramoorthy emphasized that landlords must take full responsibility for the actions of their tenants. He stated that owners have the right to do monthly inspections without violating their tenants’ privacy while holding them accountable for their behavior.
