A Malaysian man was brought before the Magistrate’s Court in Bandar Seri Begawan yesterday to face eight charges linked to an elaborate cross-border scam that allegedly swindled elderly victims out of more than BND800,000 and involved laundering proceeds from the crimes.
Robin Tsen Chun Boon, 39, is accused of working with accomplices between December 2024 and February to trick at least seven victims – aged between 60 and 80 – into believing they were under police investigation and had to pay large sums of money to clear their names.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Emily Goh laid out a series of allegations involving a pattern of deception that played out across several districts in the country.
In one case, a 62-year-old woman was allegedly cheated into handing over a total of BND129,000 in two separate meetings held in the parking lot of a school in Kuala Belait.
Another charge involves an 80-year-old woman who was allegedly deceived into giving BND40,000 in cash near a restaurant in Serusop.
The largest single loss involved a 72-year-old man, who was allegedly convinced to part with BND250,000 near a post office on January 16.
A fourth charge relates to a 73-year-old woman who allegedly handed over BND133,000 at the Seria bus station after being misled into thinking she was under investigation.
Tsen also allegedly tricked a 64-year-old woman into handing over BND23,000.
Another victim, a 60-year-old woman, was allegedly conned into giving BND105,000 in Seria. A seventh victim, aged 66, was reportedly defrauded of BND125,000 near a commercial building in Serusop.
Each of these cheating charges falls under Section 420 of the Penal Code, read with Section 109 for abetment, carrying a maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment and a fine.
In addition to the cheating charges, Tsen faces two counts of money laundering under Section 3(1)(b) of the Criminal Asset Recovery Order, 2012.
He is accused of transporting BND100,000 in suspected illicit proceeds and six pieces of gold jewellery valued at BND57,400 from Brunei Darussalam to Miri, Sarawak. The money laundering charges each carry penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to BND500,000, or both.
Prosecutors allege that Tsen knowingly handled the illicit funds and valuables, aware they were the proceeds of criminal conduct.
Defence counsels Pengiran Shahyzul Pengiran Abdul Rahman and Jessie Pang of Messrs LZ Hussain and Co sought time to review the case and obtain instructions from their client before plea could be taken.
Magistrate Nur Eleana Dato Seri Paduka Haji Hairol Arni ordered Tsen’s remand and scheduled the next mention for April 17. – Fadley Faisal
