Latest news with #RM13mil
The Star
01-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Five, including a datuk, charged with illegal deposit taking
SHAH ALAM: Five individuals, including a woman with the title of 'Datuk', were charged with taking deposits without a valid license and money laundering for four years at a Sessions Court on Tuesday (July 1). Datuk Suhaila Semaru, 41, her sister, Suraya Semaru, 37, brothers Muhammad Wahbah Az-Zuhaili Mohd Ariffin, 33, Muhammad Syaabil Ajwad Mohd Ariffin, 26, and Mohamad Noor Syauqi Shafiee, 30, plead not guilty and requested for trial when the charges were read to them separately in front of Judge Muhamad Anas Mahadzir. Suhaila as XFOX Market Sdn Bhd director faces 22 counts of receiving, obtaining and owning an estimated RM13mil from the illegal activities, while Suraya as chief executive officer faces 10 charges of obtaining, owning and transferring a total of RM11.1mil in funds. Mohamad Noor Syauqi is charged with obtaining and owning RM2.5mil from illegal activities, Muhammad Wahbah Az-Zuhaili faces seven charges of receiving, obtaining and using RM10.3mil, while Syaabil Ajwad faces seven charges of receiving and one charge of disposing of RM58mil of funds from illegal activities. They allegedly committed the offences under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, punishable under subsection 4(1) of the same Act, at various bank branches around Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya and Subang between November 2021 and July last year. At the same proceeding, Suhaila, Suraya and Mohamad Noor Syauqi pleaded not guilty to another charge of agreeing to accept deposits from the public without a valid licence. They are charged with committing the offence at the XFOX office in Subang Bestari from Nov 12, 2021 to July 30, 2024, under subsection 137(1) of the Financial Services Act 2013, read together with subsection 249(1)(a) and punishable under Section 137(2) of the same Act. The prosecution, led by Nurdeenie Abd Rashid and Megat Mahathir Megat Tharih Afendi, suggested RM1mil in bail for all the accused with the condition that they surrender their passports while lawyer Mohd Haziq Dhiyaudin Razali requested a reduction, pointing out that his clients cooperated fully with Bank Negara Malaysia during the investigation and had no risk of flight. Muhamad Anas allowed bail of RM100,000 for each of the accused with the condition of one surety and that their passports would be surrendered till the end of the case and set case re-mention for Aug 6. - Bernama
The Star
13-06-2025
- The Star
Heavy equipment operator charged with trafficking 365kg of syabu
KANGAR: A 40-year-old man has been charged in a Magistrate's Court here with trafficking 365kg of syabu, or methamphetamine. However, no plea was recorded from Mohd Mudzakkir Zainal Abidin when the charge was read to him before Magistrate Nurshahida Abdul Rahim on Friday (June 13). According to the charge, Mudzakkir, a heavy equipment operator, and another individual still at large, are accused of trafficking the dangerous drug at a house in Kampung Belat Batu, Beseri, near Padang Besar, at around 8.45pm on May 31. He was charged under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, punishable under Section 39B(2) of the same law and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code. ALSO READ: Police detain man, seize 365kg of syabu worth over RM13mil The offence carries the mandatory death penalty, or life imprisonment and at least 12 strokes of the cane, upon conviction. The court did not grant bail to the accused, as the case falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court. The mention date was set for Sept 22, pending the completion of the chemist;s report. DPP Tengku Ruqayyah Tengku Shahrom appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was unrepresented. It was reported on June 2 that Perlis police had arrested a man and seized 365kg of syabu worth RM13.14mil in Kampung Belat Batu, Beseri, near Padang Besar. – Bernama
The Star
03-06-2025
- Health
- The Star
Closure of ungazetted routes cuts drug smuggling into Kelantan by 65%, say cops
KOTA BARU: Drug smuggling into Kelantan has dropped by 65 per cent following the closure of ungazetted routes along Sungai Golok on the Malaysia-Thailand border since December last year, according to Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat. He said the decline was the result of close cooperation between Malaysia and Thailand, and added that such commitment should be extended to tackling other forms of cross-border crime. He said tight land border controls have forced syndicates to change tactics by smuggling drugs via sea routes, as evident from a recent case involving a seizure worth more than RM13mil in Perlis. "Thailand has also welcomed this initiative as it helps curb the drug flow into their country as well. Drugs coming from the Golden Triangle area, such as Laos, usually pass through Thailand before entering our country. "The fight against drug-related crime is not just a task, but a major moral responsibility. This is my jihad. Although I have received threats, I see this as a trust placed upon me, and we will continue to act firmly,' he said. He said this during a press conference after attending the 2025 Kelantan Police Chief Town Hall Discussion Programme titled "Cakna Remaja: Elak Gejala Sosial, Bina Masa Depan" at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan here Tuesday (June 3). Mohd Yusoff also called for enhanced enforcement along coastal and maritime areas to curb syndicates turning to sea routes as alternative smuggling channels. He said the smuggling crackdown had caused prices of "pil kuda" (methamphetamine pills) to drop drastically. "The drugs currently being sold are from old stock before the border closures were implemented. For example, pil kuda is now sold at RM5 or RM6 per pill compared to RM11 previously,' he said. According to him, the available stock is old and has degraded in quality or expired. - Bernama
The Star
27-05-2025
- General
- The Star
Dengkil tin mining dredge being inspected before restoration
Selangor government and Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry have allocated RM13mil to restore the Sri Banting Dredge. — Filepic A DETAILED inspection of the Sri Banting Dredge in Dengkil, Selangor, is being carried out to assess the condition of the floating platform. Sepang Municipal Council (MPSepang) deputy president Muhamad Shah Osmin said this was to determine the extent of damage and outline necessary repairs. 'The consultant's findings will help the council better estimate the timeline for the project's completion,' he said. The restoration of the dredge, built in 1974, is for the construction of the 29.14ha national tin mining heritage park. Council-run cat park has treated 162 cats and rehomed 110. — Filepix The park is expected to be fully operational by 2028. 'We have received RM10mil from Selangor government and RM3mil from Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry to support the restoration,' he said during MPSepang's monthly full board meeting yesterday. The 5,000-tonne structure, which was reportedly the largest dredge in the world, is part of Selangor's tin mining legacy. The electric-powered structure measures 86m in length and between 22m and 29.3m in width. It is equipped with 110 buckets and was capable of digging to a 30m depth. Muhamad Shah also said MPSepang had received the Honour Award for two research projects on the dredge done by its Town Planning Department. The award was presented by the Institute of Landscape Architects Malaysia at the Malaysian Landscape Architecture Award 2025. Separately, Muhamad Shah said Taman Kucing Cyberjaya, a council-run cat park, has treated 162 cats and rehomed 110 felines, since its inception in March 2023. 'There are currently 52 cats available for adoption,' he said. 'The council allocates RM80,000 annually to maintain the park which is managed by our Landscape Department.' He said the local council received strong support from non-governmental organisations and private companies, with 47 corporate social responsibility initiatives held at the park so far. 'I encourage more people to adopt from the cat park. 'All the cats are vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and have received the necessary treatments,' he said.
The Star
17-05-2025
- The Star
Not boots, floor mats or amps
NILAI: The Customs Department has seized some 145kg of drugs worth about RM13mil in several operations in the Klang Valley. Customs assistant director-general Raizam Setapa @ Mustapha said officers seized 5.1kg of methamphetamine in a raid at a warehouse at the KLIA Cargo Complex around 9.45pm on March 13. The drugs worth some RM163,000 were hidden in three boxes containing safety boots meant for export. In the second case, at 9.30pm on April 3, officers found 5kg of MDMA worth some RM835,000 in a condominium unit in Salak South, Kuala Lumpur. 'On April 7, we seized another 6.1kg of ketamine and 763g of cannabis in a condominium in Kuala Lumpur,' she said. Raizam said Customs also seized 5.1kg of methamphetamine worth RM163,000 at a courier company in Subang Jaya. The drugs, she said, were hidden in a box containing floor mats meant for export. In another raid at 4pm on April 10, Customs seized 122.8kg of heroin worth some RM11.5mil in Batu Caves. 'The drugs, which were supposed to have been exported via Port Klang, were seized from a moving service company. 'They were hidden in four boxes declared as amplifiers,' she said.
