Two Chinese nationals have been sentenced to one month in jail and fined RM7,000 each after admitting to operating romance scams from a call centre located in Johor’s Forest City.
The pair, identified as Lin Kun Chi, 32, and Bai Kan Sen, 30, pleaded guilty at the Johor Bahru Magistrate’s Court to offences committed at an apartment unit in Forest City, Tanjung Kupang, Gelang Patah, on Jul. 15.
They were charged under Section 417 of Malaysia’s Penal Code for cheating and Section 120B(1) for criminal conspiracy. The charges were read to both men in Mandarin before they entered guilty pleas.
Claimed they were lured to Malaysia with fake job offers
During mitigation, both men appealed for lighter sentences, telling the court they had travelled to Malaysia after being promised fake employment opportunities.
Magistrate A. Shaarmini sentenced each of them to one month’s imprisonment and imposed a RM7,000 fine. Those who fail to pay the fine will serve an additional six months in jail.
The case forms part of a wider crackdown on scam syndicates believed to be operating from Forest City, a large mixed-use development in Johor located just across the Causeway from Singapore.
On the same day, another 18 Indonesian nationals, including five women, were also charged over similar offences allegedly committed at the same location.
Indonesians claim they were also victims
The Indonesian suspects pleaded not guilty, claiming they too had been lured to Malaysia through fraudulent job offers.
The court granted bail of RM50,000 with two Malaysian sureties for each accused and ordered them to surrender their passports. The case has been fixed for further mention on Aug. 11.
None of the accused were represented by lawyers during the proceedings.
Hundreds arrested in Forest City crackdown
Earlier this week, Johor police chief Commissioner Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad revealed that police arrested 335 people during raids at 32 premises across Forest City.
Authorities said the suspects are believed to be involved in various scam operations, including romance scams, foreign exchange scams and cryptocurrency fraud.
Before the latest court proceedings, a total of 159 suspects had already been charged with criminal conspiracy offences linked to cryptocurrency scams.
Following the large-scale operation, Forest City issued a statement saying it remains committed to cooperating fully with law enforcement agencies to combat criminal activities within the township.
The developer also welcomed a proposal for a permanent police presence in Forest City, stating that it is prepared to provide full support for the initiative in a bid to strengthen security and public safety.