Malaysian police raided two alleged scam operations in Forest City, arresting 335 people and seizing assets worth about 1 million ringgit (£181,810; $245,000). This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.

Forest City is a $100bn mega-project unveiled by Chinese developers in 2016. It was pitched as a special financial zone that could house some 700,000 residents. But a decade later, this 14-sq-km artificial island on Singapore's doorstep is thought to be inhabited by less than 1% of that.

In mid-July, Malaysian police raided two alleged scam operations spread across 32 premises in Forest City. Cryptocurrency syndicates ran investment and love scams targeting victims abroad. Those arrested include 309 Chinese nationals, 19 Indonesians, three Malaysians and four Myanmar nationals.

Johor police chief Ab Rahaman Arsad said authorities were working with Interpol to track down the mastermind behind the operations. Experts and locals tell the BBC this is likely to be the tip of the iceberg.

John Wojcik, an analyst at TRM Labs, says many of these organisations now resemble multinational corporations more than traditional organised crime networks. They have dedicated recruitment teams, IT departments, money-laundering specialists and infrastructure.

Since late last year, the Cambodian government has stepped up efforts to stamp out these operations. Authorities recently estimated that 300,000 people had left the country within a few months. But these Malaysian offshoots do not appear to have been scam "compounds" in the traditional sense.

Kevin, a tenant who also works in property sales for Forest City, believes scammers are still operating in "condominiums or serviced apartments" in the complex. He asked for his name to be changed for fear of repercussions. "We know what they're doing," he says. "This is actually a very common issue in Johor city and Kuala Lumpur, but especially in Forest City."

Part of what makes Forest City "special" is its reputation as a semi-abandoned "ghost city". "When we speak to clients or customers, the company teaches us to say 'we already have 23,000 residents living in this area'," says Kevin – but the reality is there are "less than 5,000". "That's the reason" scammers have chosen Forest City, he suggests. "They have their own privacy... Nobody comes here."

Several factors precipitated the downfall of Forest City. Spearheaded by Country Garden, one of China's largest property developers, and Danga 88, a private company controlled by Malaysian Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, the project was initially dreamed up as an eco-friendly metropolis for well-heeled Chinese clients. Featuring a high-end hotel, golf course and water park, the resort-style city's seafront offices and apartments were expected to be in high demand.