BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: A Malaysian national believed to be involved in an online Macau scam produced before court on May 17 was sentenced to a seven year jail term by Magistrate Nur Eleana Hairol Arni.
The man faced nine charges under Section 420 and 109 of Chapter 22 of the Penal Code, as well as the Criminal Asset Recovery Order, 2012, related to money laundering.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Emily Goh and Mohammad Syafi’e Mirhan led the prosecution.
The suspect was apprehended by the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) on March 21, following an investigation by the Cyber Crime Investigation Division under the Criminal Investigation Department.
As part of ongoing efforts, the Interpol Unit under RBPF is working with foreign agencies to trace and extradite other suspects believed to be still at large overseas.
Authorities have reported several cases where scammers impersonated bank officers or police personnel to deceive victims.
The modus operandi is the victims are falsely informed they are involved in credit card debt or money laundering and are tricked into transferring money online or handing over cash to unknown individuals.
To date, over 50 such cases have been reported, with local victims suffering losses exceeding BND1 million.
The RBPF urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid sharing personal or financial information over calls or messages from unknown sources.
Members of the public are advised to confirm with official authorities before making financial transactions and to report suspicious calls to the police immediately. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
