The Malaysian police have made progress in investigating a 20-person investment scam syndicate targeting Singaporeans.
According to Zaobao, 15 Malaysian suspects in the gang were charged and pleaded guilty two weeks ago, while the remaining five Chinese suspects also pleaded guilty in court on Monday (October 23).
Pahang police chief, Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman, announced at a press conference on October 10 that the police launched a raid in a residential unit in Genting Highlands on September 5 and successfully busted the investment scam syndicate which specifically targeted Singaporeans, arresting 20 people on the spot. The suspects include 15 Malaysians and five Chinese nationals.
15 Malaysian suspects were charged at the Bentong Magistrate’s Court on October 11. The charges allege that the 15 suspects had conspired to defraud investors of their money with a fake investment plan in a unit in Genting Highlands, Pahang on October 5, from about 12pm to 6:30 pm, violating the criminal conspiracy provisions of 120B(2) of the Penal Code.
After all the suspects pleaded guilty, the judge sentenced each of them to a fine of RM10,000 (approximately S$2881.62) or three months in prison.
On October 23, the Malaysian police brought five Chinese nationals who were involved in the investment scam to the Bentong Magistrate’s Court and charged them with the same charges. After a female translator read out the charges in Chinese, the prosecution showed pictures of the items and tools seized by police when they were arrested. The 5 of them then pleaded guilty.
Reportedly, the five Chinese nationals are aged between 27 and 40 years old. They entered Malaysia in batches from 2021 to October this year. After pleading guilty, the judge also sentenced each of them to a fine of RM10,000 (approximately S$2881.62) or three months’ imprisonment.
One of the suspects was also fined an additional RM15,000 (approximately S$4,322.43) or jailed for eight months for overstaying.
