TAWAU: Twenty-eight foreign nationals from China and Vietnam were fined RM5,000 each by the Magistrate’s Court here on Thursday (May 14) after pleading guilty to involvement in an online “love scam” and investment fraud syndicate targeting South Koreans.
The accused, aged between 21 and 59, comprised 26 men and two women, including 27 Chinese nationals and one Vietnamese woman.
They pleaded guilty after the charges were read in Mandarin before Magistrates Don Stiwin Malanjum and Dayang Aidaku Amira Aminuddin in two separate proceedings.
According to the charges, the group deceived victims through online “love scam” schemes and fake investment offers involving the sale of daily-use products using social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram and KakaoTalk.
The syndicate was believed to have specifically targeted South Korean victims.
They were accused of committing the offences at four luxury bungalows in Indah Regency, Bandar Sri Indah, Batu 10 Jalan Apas, at about 9.20am on May 6.
The case was handled under Section 420 of the Penal Code (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and punishable under Section 120B(2) (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the same Code read together with Section 34 (Each of several persons liable for an act done by all, in like manner as if done by him alone).
The court ordered 16 of the accused to pay RM5,000 fines each or serve two months’ jail in default.
In separate proceedings, the remaining 12 accused were also fined RM5,000 each or face four months’ imprisonment if they failed to pay.
All the accused were further ordered to be referred to the Immigration Department after settling their fines or completing their jail terms.
The suspects were initially arrested during a May 7 raid conducted by the Tawau district police commercial crime investigation division together with its Strike Force and the Internal Security and Public Order Department task force.
Police also seized 33 mobile phones, several laptops and two WiFi modems believed to have been used in the scam operations.
The luxury bungalows were believed to have functioned both as operational centres and accommodation for syndicate members.
Initial investigations found police were also tracking down other members linked to the syndicate and its wider network.
