Five Foreigners Fined RM20,000 Over Johor Investment Scam

Five foreign nationals have been fined a combined RM20,000 after admitting to their involvement in a fake online investment operation in Johor Bahru.

The five men, comprising four Chinese nationals and one Taiwanese national, each received a RM4,000 fine from Magistrate Nor Zihan Abdul Rahman after pleading guilty, according to a report by The Star published on Wednesday.

The accused were identified as Sun Chang, 32, Chih Hsien Lung, 41, Fang Peihang, 36, Lyu Yahui, 36, and Fang Peipei, 33. Their case involved charges under Section 120B(2) of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34, relating to criminal conspiracy and common intention. They also faced charges under Section 417 concerning cheating.

According to the charge sheet, the group was arrested on October 19 at premises within Country Garden in Danga Bay. The arrests were carried out by officers from the commercial crimes division of the Johor Bahru South district police headquarters.

Deputy public prosecutor Izdihiyah Zahirah Ahmad Ghazali prosecuted the case, while the five accused were not represented by lawyers during the proceedings.

Although the case resulted in guilty pleas and financial penalties, the reported court proceedings did not specify the total amount allegedly lost by investors, the number of victims involved or the investment schemes operating methods. Those details remain important in assessing the full financial impact of the operation.