IPOH, July 16 -- Perak police have arrested 18 Chinese nationals in two separate raids around Ipoh over a suspected online scam operation believed to have exploited third-party financial accounts to defraud victims.

Perak police chief Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin said the raids were carried out at the Ipoh Hill Permai Apartment and a house on Laluan Tasek Timur 5 in Taman Tasek Indra on July 13.

"The first raid led to the arrest of 10 Chinese nationals, while another eight Chinese nationals were detained in the second raid," he said in a statement today.

Mohd Alwi said the suspects are aged between 26 and 45.

He said inspections at both premises led to the seizure of various electronic devices, including laptops, mobile phones and ot...