Chinese nationals fined for using unapproved communication equipment

SEREMBAN: Two people from China have been fined RM50,000 each, in default 10 months jail, after they pleaded guilty to a charge of using non-certified communication equipment at the Sessions Court here.

Huang Xiaomin, 40, and Zhang Cheng, 21, did not contest the charge of using non-approved communication equipment as required under the Communications and Multimedia Regulations (Technical Standards) 2000 before judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Termizi.

Huang was charged with using 41 SIM box units, which did not carry a brand name, at a house in Taman Bukit Kepayang near here around 2.30pm on Jan 3.

Zhang was charged with having 34 SIM box units and one Tenda-brand network switch set at the same place and time.

They were charged under Regulation 16(1)(b) of the Communications and Multimedia (Technical Standards) Regulations 2000, which is read together with Regulation 16(3) of the same Regulations that can be punished under Regulation 37 of the same law.

Offenders can be fined up to RM300,000 or a maximum three-year jail or both upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Syamimi Farhana Muhammad A. Aziz told the court that using such unauthorised equipment is a serious offence.

“The duo are foreigners who run a lucrative business by providing fake SIM card registration and their customers are not only locals but foreigners as well.

“They made quick profits using equipment which had not been approved by Sirim,” she said, adding that the court also had to take into account that a police raiding team had seized 75 SIM box units from the duo.

In mitigation, Huang said he had to provide for his wife and two children and his old parents back in China.

He also claimed to be the sole breadwinner, who earned an average income.

Zhang said he had just started working and that he had to provide for his parents and a sister, who was still studying.

The pair were unrepresented.

According to the facts of the case, the two were part of a group, which supplied pre-paid cards to customers and illegally registered them on social media.

It was believed that the buyers would use these cards to scam others.

Also seized from the house were 18 laptops, six mobile phones and 6,091 sim cards.