Japanese Nationals' Phone Scam Trial Adjourned Due to Language Barrier

Five Japanese men appeared in the Bukit Mertajam Magistrate's Court facing charges linked to an international phone scam syndicate. The accused, identified as Nakahara Riku, Matsumoto, Ryuto, Dono Harisu, Inaba Sho, and Umeda Tokeya, range in age from 20 to 40 years old.

However, the court proceedings were halted as all five defendants could only comprehend Japanese. This language barrier requires the presence of a qualified interpreter fluent in Japanese to facilitate the trial. Consequently, Magistrate Roshayati Radellah postponed the case, setting June 22 as the date for the next hearing to allow for the interpreter's attendance.

Magistrate Roshayati also ruled against granting bail to any of the accused while they await their next court date. The prosecution was handled by Deputy Public Prosecutor Zulfadzli Hassan, while the five defendants were unrepresented by legal counsel.

This development follows a significant operation by Penang police, who reportedly busted three international scam syndicates in separate raids around Bukit Mertajam earlier in June. Besides the phone scam involving the Japanese nationals, the other dismantled syndicates were involved in "love scams" and cryptocurrency exchange fraud, with suspects from China, Vietnam, and Taiwan implicated.