TWO Chinese nationals were each fined RM7,000 and sentenced to one month's imprisonment by the Magistrates' Court here on Wednesday after pleading guilty to participating in an online "love scam" syndicate uncovered in Forest City earlier this month.
Lin Kun Chi, 32, and Bai Kan Sen, 30, admitted the offence after the charge was read to them in Mandarin before Magistrate A. Shaarmini.
The court also ordered that each accused serve an additional six months' imprisonment in default of payment of the fine.
According to the charge sheet, the two men jointly entered into a criminal conspiracy by agreeing to commit an unlawful act, namely attempting to deceive victims through a "love scam" operation.
The offence was allegedly committed at premises along Jalan Forest City 17, Gelang Patah, Tanjung Kupang, Iskandar Puteri, at about 12.16pm on July 15.
They were charged under Section 120B(1) of the Penal Code for criminal conspiracy to commit an offence under Section 417 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 511 of the same Code.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction.
In mitigation, both accused appealed for leniency, claiming they had been deceived by a job recruitment agent, had families in China and promised not to repeat the offence.
In the same court proceedings, 18 Indonesian nationals pleaded not guilty to identical charges after they were read to them in Malay.
The court granted bail of RM50,000 for each accused, with two Malaysian citizens required to stand as sureties.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Anis Syafeeqah Mohd Shariffudin appeared for the prosecution, while none of the accused was represented by legal counsel.
The case has been fixed for further mention on Aug 11, with the court also directing that a letter be sent to the Indonesian Embassy should it wish to facilitate legal representation for the accused.
The prosecutions follow a major police crackdown in Johor, during which authorities arrested 335 individuals after raiding 32 premises and seizing assets worth approximately RM1 million.
Johor Police Chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad previously said the raids covered 27 apartment units and five bungalows in Forest City, Iskandar Puteri, which were allegedly being used as call centres for online fraud operations.
The latest convictions come a day after 159 Chinese nationals were charged in three separate Magistrates' Courts in Johor Bahru over an alleged criminal conspiracy involving attempts to defraud victims through a non-existent cryptocurrency investment scheme. - July 29, 2026
