(Johor, July 28) — Court proceedings linked to the Forest City scam bust got underway this week, with 194 individuals formally approved for prosecution following the July 15 raid that dismantled a major scam call centre network across Forest City and Tebrau.
On July 28, a total of 159 suspects were charged across three magistrate's courts in Johor Bahru, presided over by magistrates Atifahazma, Shamini and Nurzhan. Each faced two charges: one under Section 120B(1) of the Penal Code, read together with Section 511, covering criminal conspiracy to commit cheating, and a second under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for illegal entry.
Those who pleaded guilty were fined between RM4,000 and RM10,000, while suspects who claimed trial saw mixed outcomes — some were granted bail of RM7,000 with two local sureties, while others had their bail applications rejected. Cases involving suspects who denied the charges have been postponed for mention between August 13 and 24.
An additional 35 suspects were scheduled to be charged the following day, July 29, while nine further investigation papers remain pending instructions from the Deputy Public Prosecutor before charges can be filed.
The case stems from a large-scale operation in which 335 individuals were arrested across 32 premises — 27 apartment units in Forest City and five bungalows in Tebrau — with police seizing electronic equipment worth an estimated RM1 million, including 313 computers and 1,557 mobile phones.
Johor police chief Datuk Rahman described the operation as the largest scam call centre bust in the state's history, noting that while court proceedings are now underway for many suspects, the syndicate's alleged ringleader behind the Forest City operation remains at large. He said police will continue working with Interpol to pursue the transnational network believed to be behind the scam.
Authorities have reiterated that further arrests and charges are possible as investigations continue, with the remaining cases expected to move through the courts over the coming weeks.
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