JOHOR BARU: Eighteen Chinese nationals have been charged with working in a call centre involved in online gambling.

The accused – Liu Xiang Long, Li Xinpo, Li Yuncheng, He Hui, Chou Chia Chun, Lu Zaitian, Zhou Xin, Wang Kun, Yu Jiang, Yang Kai, Jin Zhe, Chen Xiping, Zhou Wei, Xie Jicheng, Lian Wenjun, Huang Longwang, Xiang Chengwei and Mo Huaixian, whose ages range from 26 to 42 – claimed trial after the charge was read out in Mandarin before Magistrate Hidayatul Syuhada Shamsudin here on Wednesday (Dec 4).

According to the charge sheet, the accused were part of a criminal conspiracy where they mutually agreed to carry out an illegal act through the use of a gambling application.

They allegedly committed the offence at a highrise building along Jalan Forest City 1 near the Tanjung Pelepas highway at Iskandar Puteri at around noon on Nov 27.

They were charged under Section 4B(b) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 and can be sentenced under Section 120B(2) of the Penal Code.

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Hidayatul Syuhada then imposed bail at RM5,000 with two Malaysian sureties for each accused and ordered them to surrender their passports to the court.

They were also ordered to report regularly to the nearest police station pending disposal of the case.

She also set Jan 9 for next mention and the handing over of documents.

DPP Siti Aishah Latif prosecuted, while lawyer Nur Helmi A. Halim represented all the accused.

Earlier, Johor police chief Comm Datuk M. Kumar said 71 suspects – 35 of whom are foreigners – had been arrested for working at two call centres involved in online gambling activities and fake job offers.

He said the Commercial Crime Investigation Department raided two offices in Iskandar Puteri on Nov 27.

“We suspect that the first operation has been active since early November, while the second syndicate has been operating since October, targeting victims in Malaysia and overseas,” he said in a statement.