Six foreign nationals were fined RM9,000 each by the Bukit Mertajam Magistrate’s Court today after pleading guilty to involvement in an online “love scam” syndicate.
The accused comprised five Chinese nationals — Wu Chunsheng, 24; Wang Junye, 35; Kuai Ming, 28; Gao Yang, 35; and Shu Wentao, 40 — as well as a Taiwanese national, Chen Nan, 28.
They admitted to the charge after it was read out in Mandarin before Magistrate Roshayati Radellah.
The court was told that the group was jointly involved in carrying out online fraud activities at a premises in Taman Pinggiran Bukit Minyak, Seberang Perai Tengah, at about 10.30pm on June 1.
The offence was framed under Section 417 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 120B(1) for criminal conspiracy.
All six were each fined RM9,000, with an alternative 12-month jail term if they fail to pay the fines.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Zulfadzli Hassan, while legal representation was provided for the accused by K. Kumaran and Chiang Kian Hong respectively.
Authorities continue to intensify enforcement efforts against online scam syndicates, which have been increasingly targeting victims through social media and digital platforms.
