Story highlights Malaysia deports 32 Taiwanese citizens to mainland China

Move angers Taiwan, which objected last month to similar moves by Kenya

China says it needs to interrogate the suspects who are accused of telecoms fraud

(CNN) Taiwan has filed a formal objection with the Malaysian government over its deportation of 32 Taiwanese nationals to China.

Images published on Chinese state media Saturday show hooded suspects being escorted by police from a plane after landing in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.

China says they're among 117 suspects arrested in relation to five transnational telecom fraud cases being jointly invested by Chinese and Malaysian authorities.

Beijing accuses them of being part of an elaborate scheme in which fraudsters posed as law enforcement officials to extort money from residents in mainland China.

Twenty other Taiwanese citizens allegedly involved in the scam were deported from Malaysia to Taiwan on April 15. According to Chinese state news agency Xinhua, China requested the other 32 be returned to the mainland because all the victims of the alleged scam were mainland residents.

Read More