Terengganu cosmetics shop owner arrested in drug trafficking bust, RM981,500 in assets seized
KUALA TERENGGANU, May 1 — Terengganu police have seized three luxury vehicles, cash, and jewellery worth a total of RM981,500, believed to be proceeds from drug trafficking activities.
State Police Chief Datuk Mohd Khairi Khairuddin said this followed the arrest of a 35-year-old local man, who owns a cosmetics shop, during a raid in Kampung Paya Keladi on April 28.
Among the seized assets were a Toyota Alphard, a Mini Cooper Countryman, a Range Rover, as well as RM7,700 in cash, and gold bracelets and necklaces.
'Police also seized from the man a packet containing 1.02 kilograms of syabu (methamphetamine), believed to be distributed to approximately 6,000 drug addicts in the district,' he said in a statement.
Initial investigations revealed that the suspect has no prior criminal record, but a urine test returned positive for Nimetazepam, a controlled substance.
The suspect has been remanded for seven days, from April 29 to May 5, as investigations continue. The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the death penalty or life imprisonment with a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction.
Police are currently pursuing leads to identify and dismantle the wider drug syndicate believed to be operating in the area. — Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Man charged with sexual assault of daughter
KUALA LUMPUR: A despatch rider pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here to sexually assaulting his six-year-old daughter. The 37-year-old father of two is accused of committing the offence at a house in Kampung Datuk Keramat here between June 28 and July 10 last year. The charge is framed under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, read together with Section 16(1) of the same law. If convicted, Section 14(a) provides for a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and whipping, while Section 16(1) carries a jail term of up to five years and a maximum of two strokes of the cane. According to a Bernama report yesterday, deputy public prosecutor M. Saravanan requested bail be set at RM20,000 in one surety, along with an additional condition that the accused must report to the nearest police station once a month. 'In addition, the accused must surrender his passport to the court and is prohibited from contacting or disturbing the victim, as he is the child's biological father and has visitation rights,' said DPP Saravanan. Meanwhile, the accused, who was unrepresented, appealed for a lower bail on grounds that he only earns RM2,000 a month and his daughter is currently living with his ex-wife who has since remarried. Judge Azrul Darus set July 16 for mention and granted the accused bail of RM5,000 in one surety, along with the condition that he must report to the nearest police station once a month until the disposal of the case.
Daily Express
2 hours ago
- Daily Express
RM24.2 million bank fraud: 3 jailed
Published on: Saturday, June 14, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jun 14, 2025 By: Jo Ann Mool Text Size: Left: Sugumaran and Hasran being led to the courthouse. Subramaniam (right). Kota Kinabalu: Three out of 10 individuals charged in connection with an organised criminal group linked to the RM24.2 million fraudulent bank withdrawals were jailed five years each by the High Court here Friday. Self-employed Sugumaran K. Ponniah, 56; Subramaniam Thangavelu, 57, a primary school teacher; and Hasran Magin, 47, a fisherman, pleaded guilty separately before Judge Datuk Duncan Sikodol to an alternative charge under Section 130W of the Penal Code for assisting the organised criminal group. Advertisement Sugumaran, Subramaniam and Hasran committed the offence last year at MBSB Bank branches here between May 13 and July 3; May 9 and July 4; and April 26 and July 1, respectively. The alternative charge carries a jail term of up to 10 years on conviction. In delivering his ruling, Duncan held, among others, that the offence had serious implications for the public and customer confidence. He said such actions could lead to economic collapse and widespread distrust among customers. Duncan ordered the three to serve the sentence from their respective date of arrest. Earlier, presenting the facts of the case, the prosecution informed the court that a police report was lodged on June 27, 2024 by an Assistant Superintendent of Police from the Sabah Contingent Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) based on intelligence on an organised criminal group suspected of manufacturing fake identity cards and using them to commit large-scale financial fraud. Acting on the information, police arrested Sugumaran, Subramaniam and Hasran, respectively, at the roadside near Jalan Pahlawan, here, at 4pm on July 8, 2024 and handed them over to the Investigating Officer for further investigation. Investigations revealed that the three had assisted an organised criminal group in committing criminal breach of trust by a clerk or servant, using forged valuable securities, namely, fake identity cards, to help the group obtain financial gain. With the help of Sugumaran, Subramaniam and Hasran, the group fraudulently withdrew large sums of money from several fixed deposit accounts of the MBSB branches in Kota Kinabalu using fake identity cards, the court heard. Investigations also revealed that the organised criminal group assisted by the three was involved in the commissioning of serious offences under investigation under Section 408 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 120B of the Penal Code, as in Menggatal Report: A case which involved two unauthorised withdrawals from the fixed deposit account of Wang Su Sing at the MBSB Alamesra branch — RM2 million on April 26, 2024 and RM7 million on April 30, 2024. Tanjong Aru Report: A case related to the wrongful withdrawal of funds from the fixed deposit account of Ananthan a/l Sinivesan at MBSB Lintas Jaya. Two transactions were recorded — RM2 million on May 9, 2024 and RM4 million on May 10, 2024. Menggatal Report: At the same MBSB Lintas Jaya branch, two fraudulent withdrawals were made from the account of Edgar Ralph Fernandez — RM2 million on May 17, 2024 and RM3.7 million on May 21, 2024. Another Menggatal Report which involved one transaction at the MBSB Alamesra branch, where RM3.5 million was unlawfully withdrawn from the fixed deposit account of Karina Ang Li Li on June 5, 2024. Counsel Datuk Ram Singh, Dominic Chew and Azhier Farhan, representing Subramaniam, Sugumaran, and Hasran, respectively, requested for a lenient sentence of less than three years by submitting, among others, that it was their first offence, they were remorseful and that the conduct was non-violent. Azhier also submitted that all monies involved in the fraudulent transactions were fully reimbursed by MBSB, while Ram added that Subramaniam is an English teacher for 18 years and aware and sad of losing all the pensions benefit. Meanwhile, the prosecution urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence, stressing the seriousness of the offence, the public interest, the need for deterrence and that the guilty plea should not be the primary consideration. Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Datuk Nazran Mohd Sham also submitted that the accused's role cannot be viewed singularly and separately and that the case had originated from an investigation under Sosma, which, he stressed, reflected the seriousness of the offence. Nazran further submitted that the fact that the monies have been recovered did not reflect the full picture. The recovered monies were payments made by the bank's insurance. The actual sums taken have not been fully recovered, not even 50 per cent. As such, the losses affected not only the bank but also public trust in the financial system, he said, among others. Together with Nazran were DPPs Shafiq Hasim, Mohd Ashraf Adrin Kamarul and Yazid Mustaqim Roslan, while Ram was with counsel Prem Elmer Ganasan. Meanwhile, another accused, Nasir Abdul Rasid, had also earlier pleaded guilty to the alternative charge but later disputed the facts of the case. The remaining six accused - Josepin J. Langkan, Leong Hin Ping, Vireonis Jonok, Mazlani Jenuary and Iren Chin Nyuk Thien and Christina @ Caroline Pianus Etip (both bank managers) who were separately charged with being members of an organised crime group involved in serious offences for the material benefit of the group led by Josepin J. Langkan between April 26, 2024 and July 10 the same year at the MBSB Bank branches - together with Nasir would have their case mentioned on July 18. The charge under Section 130V(1) of the Penal Code carries a jail term of between five years and 20 years on conviction. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
One dead, two injured in shooting at Brickfields restaurant
KUALA LUMPUR: A man died while two of his friends were injured after being shot at a restaurant in Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields here, on Friday (June 13) night. Brickfields district police chief ACP Ku Mashariman Ku Mahmood said in the incident at about 10.50pm, the three local men aged between 30 and 50 were eating with several friends before being approached by two men on a motorcycle who fired several shots at them. "One of the victims was confirmed dead at the scene due to gunshots and his body was sent to the University Malaya Medical Centre (PPUM) for a post-mortem. "Two other victims are receiving treatment at PPUM with one of them suffering serious injuries while the other sustained minor injuries," he told reporters at the scene early on Saturday (June 14) morning. Ku Mashariman said further investigations are underway including examining closed-circuit camera footage, identifying the motive for the incident and the suspects involved. "There is nothing to alarm the public at this time and the police will investigate this case from various angles. "Members of the public with information about the incident are advised to contact the police or the nearest police station to assist in the investigation," he said, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code. - Bernama
