By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Sept 9: Eight people, including five Indonesian nationals, were sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment by the Magistrates’ Court here today after pleading guilty to conspiring to cheat victims through an online love scam.
The accused, aged between 21 and 32, comprised five Indonesians and three Malaysians.
Magistrate Leona Dominic Mojiliu handed down the sentence after the eight pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 120B(1) of the Penal Code, read together with Section 417 of the same law.
The offence was committed at a house in Jalan Song at about 11pm on Sept 1.
According to the facts of the case, police raided the premises after receiving information that it was being used by a syndicate to carry out online love scams.
The operation resulted in the arrest of five Indonesian men, two Malaysian men and a Malaysian woman.
Police also seized four laptops and computer mice, four laptop chargers and four mobile phones of various brands.
Investigations found that the group had allegedly worked together to deceive victims online by posing as women and communicating with potential victims through messaging platforms.
Meanwhile, the five Indonesian nationals were also charged separately under the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Two were charged under Section 6(1)(c) of the Act for being in Malaysia without valid travel documents. One was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment and four strokes of the cane, while the other received four months’ jail and two strokes.
Two others were each sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for overstaying in Malaysia, while the fifth received a 10-month jail sentence for a similar offence.
None of the eight accused was represented by counsel. — DayakDaily
