Latest news with #illegalactivities
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
‘Datuk' among 5 charged with unlicensed deposit taking, money laundering
The Shah Alam sessions court set bail at RM100,000 with one surety for each accused and ordered their passports to be surrendered until the conclusion of the case. PETALING JAYA : A woman with a 'Datuk' title was among five people charged today in the Shah Alam sessions court with accepting deposits from the public without a valid licence and laundering millions of ringgit between 2021 and 2024. Suhaila Semaru, 41, her sister Suraya, 37, Noor Syauqi Shafiee, 30, Wahbah Az-Zuhaili Ariffin, 33, and his younger brother Syaabil Ajwad, 26, all claimed trial after the charges were read to them before judge Anas Mahadzir. They were charged separately with money laundering using a company named XFOX Market Sdn Bhd, Berita Harian reported. Suhaila, a director of the company, faces 22 charges in total – five for receiving, 12 for acquiring, and five for possessing proceeds from unlawful activities amounting to RM13 million. The funds were said to have been deposited into the company's bank account and her personal account. Suraya, who is the company's CEO, was slapped with 10 charges involving acquiring, possessing, and transferring illegal proceeds amounting to approximately RM11.1 million. Syauqi was charged with acquiring and possessing a total of RM2.5 million in illegal proceeds. Wahbah Az-Zuhaili faces seven charges for receiving, acquiring, and using RM10.3 million in illegal funds. Syaabil Ajwad was charged with seven counts of receiving and one count of disposing of a total of RM58 million in illegal funds. The alleged offences took place between November 2021 and July 2024 at multiple bank branches in Shah Alam, Ara Damansara, Kota Damansara, Klang, as well as at a residence and office in Section U5, Shah Alam. The charges were framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001. Suhaila, Suraya, and Syauqi also pleaded not guilty to charges of accepting deposits from the public without a valid licence under Section 137(1) of the Financial Services Act, read together with Section 249(1)(a) of the same Act. The offence was said to have been committed at XFOX's office in Subang Bestari between November 2021 and July 30, 2024. The judge set bail at RM100,000 with one surety for each of the accused and ordered their passports to be surrendered until the conclusion of the case. Deputy public prosecutors Nurdeenie Abd Rashid and Megat Mahathir Megat Tharih Afendi conducted the prosecution while the accused were represented by Haziq Dhiyaudin Razali. The court set Aug 6 for mention of the case.
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Datuk, siblings among five charged in multi-million ringgit illegal deposit-taking and laundering probe
SHAH ALAM, July 1 — 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 today. 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 RM13 million from the illegal activities, while Suraya as chief executive officer faces 10 charges of obtaining, owning and transferring a total of RM11.1 million in funds. Mohamad Noor Syauqi is charged with obtaining and owning RM2.5 million from illegal activities, Muhammad Wahbah Az-Zuhaili faces seven charges of receiving, obtaining and using RM10.3 million, while Syaabil Ajwad faces seven charges of receiving and one charge of disposing of RM58 million 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 RM1 million 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
Malay Mail
18-06-2025
- Malay Mail
In Sabah, man caught logging, burning and farming in protected Lahad Datu area
LAHAD DATU, June 18 — A 59-year-old man was arrested during Op Bakau yesterday for allegedly encroaching into the Lahad Datu Forest Reserve. Lahad Datu Maritime Zone director, Maritime Commander Dzulfikhar Ali, said the joint operation carried out by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and the Sabah Forestry Department discovered that 2.02 hectares of land had been encroached upon. 'Checks revealed illegal activities, including mangrove tree logging, open burning, and the planting of oil palm, fruits, and vegetables. A residential house and a swiftlet bird nest structure were also built without permission,' he said in a statement today. The suspect, who is believed to have committed an offence under the Forest Enactment 1968, has been referred to the Lahad Datu Forestry Department for further investigation. Dzulfikhar said the integrated operation is crucial for protecting forest reserves, waterways, and coastal areas while preserving natural ecosystems and ensuring national maritime security. Members of the public with information about criminal activities or emergencies at sea are encouraged to contact the Lahad Datu Maritime Zone via WhatsApp at 016-9305727 or MERS 999. — Bernama
Arab News
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan to cancel passports, register cases against deported citizens
KARACHI: Pakistan's federal government on Saturday decided to take stringent measures against its citizens deported from other countries for illegal activities by canceling their passports and registering criminal charges, in a bid to curb a growing issue that officials say is tarnishing the country's international image. The move follows mounting complaints, particularly from Middle Eastern countries, about public begging and undocumented migration involving Pakistani nationals. The decision was made at a high-level meeting chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Islamabad. 'It was decided during the meeting that FIRs [First Information Reports] would be registered against deported individuals and their passports would also be canceled,' an official statement released after the meeting said. 'The deportees would be placed on the Passport Control List for five years.' Earlier this year, Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said approximately 4,000 beggars had been deported by Saudi Arabia from 2022 until the end of 2024. 'Deportees are causing embarrassment for Pakistan at international level,' Naqvi said. 'Thus, no leniency will be shown to them in the future.' To further tighten passport regulations, the interior ministry also formed a committee led by the interior secretary. According to the statement, the committee has been tasked with proposing reforms to strengthen the passport issuance process and enforce stricter scrutiny. Last month, over 100 Pakistanis deported from various European countries arrived in Islamabad, with officials indicating that many had been involved in fraudulent or undocumented migration. The latest measures build on earlier actions by the interior ministry aimed at discouraging illegal migration and curbing human trafficking. Naqvi had previously announced plans to block the issuance of new travel documents to deportees and crack down on travel agents implicated in human smuggling.
