SEPANG, Malaysia, Dec 13 (NNN-BERNAMA) — A total of 373 Chinese nationals were charged at the Sessions Court 1 here today on charges for online scam activities.
There were from a group of 680 who had been arrested in Cyberjaya recently following a raid on a building alleged to have been the location for online scam activities.
From the 373 persons charged, 321 of them have pleaded guilty, with 29 of them sentenced to four months in jail effective from the date of arrest, while another 31 were fined RM5,000 and have been ordered for deportation to their country of origin. In the event they fail to pay the fine, they will serve a jail sentence of four months.
Judge Hakim Tengku Shahrizam Tuan Lah ordered the sentences.
Meanwhile, another 52 of the charged will have a case re-mention on January 10 to facilitate investigation into their passports. They will be placed at the Bukit Jalil Immigration Depot meanwhile.
On November 20, Malaysia’s Immigration Department busted what is said to be the largest online scam syndicate believed to be run by the detained Chinese nationals in the country.
During the raid on the online scam headquarters in Cyberjaya, a total of 680 people were arrested.
In a later development in Ipoh, the Perak Immigration Department arrested another 65 Chinese nationals for alleged involvement in the online scam.
Its director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud said the suspects, aged between 17 and 55, were caught by surprise when a raiding party stormed two three-storey houses in Gerbang Maju Rapat at 3.30pm.
“Everyone was then carrying out online activities and as soon as they realised the presence of immigration officers, they tried to run away causing scuffles. Some of them tried to act aggressively but we managed to control the situation and prevented them from escaping.
“All of them are believed to have been carrying out the online activities since last week,” he said in a press conference at the Perak Immigration Department office here today.
In the raid, immigration officers seized various equipment including 232 mobile phones, 45 laptops, 26 computer monitors, a card credit swipe machine, 140 bank cards and 47 Chinese identity cards.
Khairul Dzaimee said the suspects, who included four women, have been detained for investigation for not having valid travel documents and for abusing social visit or work passes.
He said the immigration will work with other agencies such as Bank Negara, police and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to curb online scams.
Khairul Dzaimee denied claims that immigration officers were involved in the Cyberjaya online scam syndicate which was busted on Nov 20.
He said the department had arrested 941 Chinese nationals in various operations against online scams, namely 680 individuals on Nov 20 in Cyberjaya, 104 on Nov 26 in Sabah, 52 on Nov 29 in Sarawak, and 105 in Perak on Dec 9 and 12.
— NNN-BERNAMA
