BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: A Malaysian national has been sentenced to six years and eight months’ imprisonment for his role in a cross-border scheme involving the misuse of debit cards to make unauthorised ATM withdrawals.
The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) and Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF), in a joint statement, said Thian Li Heng pleaded guilty on June 18 to five charges under Section 10 read with Section 3(1) of the Computer Misuse Act, punishable under Section 9 of the same Act.
The sentence was handed down on July 1 by Magistrate Muhammad Qamarul Affyian Abdul Rahman.
Investigations by the Cyber Crime Investigation Division of the RBPF’s Criminal Investigation Department found that the accused acted on instructions from an unidentified individual based in Malaysia.
He was found to have collected debit cards in Brunei Darussalam before handing them over to other individuals involved in the scheme.
The debit cards were subsequently used to gain unauthorised access to automated teller machines (ATMs) and withdraw money from the respective bank accounts, resulting in total losses of BND8,480.
The banks involved provided account and transaction records that assisted investigators in tracing the unauthorised withdrawals and identifying those involved.
In sentencing, the magistrate noted that Thian’s role was not merely incidental, as collecting and transferring the debit cards enabled other participants to carry out the unauthorised transactions.
Although the offence did not involve advanced technical methods, the court found that it demonstrated a level of coordination through the involvement of participants operating across borders.
The magistrate also highlighted that such offences undermine public confidence in the security and proper use of electronic banking facilities, as legitimate banking instruments were misused for illegal transactions.
Given the accused’s significant role in the completed scheme, the court placed considerable emphasis on the need for general deterrence.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Emily Goh appeared for the Public Prosecutor. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
