By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, June 11: A 34-year-old unemployed man has been remanded for three days as police investigate allegations that he duped a victim into paying RM26,000 with promises of securing the release of a Chinese national detained by immigration authorities.
Magistrate Leona Dominic Mojiliu granted the remand order yesterday (June 10) after an application by investigating officer Insp Mohd Kamarul Anuar Halim.
Although police sought a four-day remand, the court approved a three-day period to facilitate investigations under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Sources said the case began after the suspect allegedly approached a 36-year-old man at a food outlet here on Sept 29, 2025.
The suspect reportedly claimed he had the means to help free the victim’s female friend, a Chinese national who had been arrested by immigration officers during an operation at a karaoke establishment four days earlier.
To convince the victim, the suspect allegedly assured him that the woman would be released and that the immigration case against her would be settled without further consequences.
Trusting the representations, the victim is said to have made four separate money transfers totalling RM26,000 into a bank account provided by the suspect, under the name Bespoke Company.
The alleged deception came to light two months later when the victim learned that the woman had not been released as promised. Instead, she had faced immigration proceedings and was eventually deported to her home country on Nov 29, 2025.
Realising that the assurances given by the suspect had not materialised, the victim lodged a police report, leading to the suspect’s arrest and subsequent remand.
Police said investigations are ongoing. — DayakDaily
