15-8-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) A couple, along with four others, were formally charged today in a Malaysian court for the kidnapping of a Chinese national. The accused, comprising four men and two women, all pleaded not guilty to the charges laid against them.
The six individuals include 28-year-old Chen Junxiang and her partner Luo Hanwei, 29-year-old Chen Jinyuan, and the married couple Luo Weijian and Huang Xiaoyan, both aged 29. The youngest of the accused, Zhong Lijie, is 25 years old. All names have been translated for clarity.
They are accused, alongside four other suspects who remain at large, of unlawfully detaining a Chinese man on 11th July at approximately 11 a.m. near the Cyberjaya exit on the MEX Highway. The abduction was allegedly carried out with the intent of extorting 1,007,696 in cryptocurrency (USDT), equivalent to approximately RM4.47 million.
The charges fall under Section 3(1) of the 1961 Kidnapping Act, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code for criminal conspiracy. If convicted, the accused face a minimum sentence of 30 years and a maximum of 40 years in prison, in addition to corporal punishment.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamad Waffi did not recommend bail, citing the severity of the offence, which typically does not allow for bail. Nevertheless, the defence lawyers submitted bail applications on behalf of their clients.
Judge Amir ultimately denied these requests, ordering that all related documents be submitted by 8th October. “Considering all the arguments and the seriousness of the charges, the court has decided not to grant bail,” the judge stated.
Reports indicate that the victim, a Chinese national, had arrived in Malaysia last month and was abducted shortly after leaving the airport by car. The kidnappers also took the female driver who was with him.
Police investigations have revealed that a total of 18 individuals were involved in the kidnapping. To date, authorities have apprehended 10 suspects, including the alleged mastermind, and recovered over RM3.1 million in assets. Four of the suspects were killed in the course of the investigation, while the remaining four are still at large and being pursued by law enforcement.
