Malaysian Jailed In Melbourne For Laundering US$6.2 Million

MELBOURNE, May 29 (Bernama) -- A Malaysian was jailed Tuesday for a maximum of five years and nine months for laundering US$6.2 million (RM19.3 million) in five months in Australia and sending it to China, The Age Online reported. Wong Lai Yean was arrested here last November with US$63,000 (RM196,000) cash, six mobile phones and cash-deposit receipts for US$191,000 (RM594,252) in his backpack. The County Court here was told last week that Australian federal police also found almost 1,000 fake credit cards in his house in the suburb of Mitcham. Prosecutor Andrew Sprague said Wong arrived from Malaysia in March 2011 and from June until November made 34 "suspicious" cash deposits totalling US$6,297,187 (RM19,590,681) with currency exchange companies in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. Sprague said Wong's arrest with two co-offenders, who were later jailed, revealed financial transactions stored on his computer. Judge Joe Gullaci said that anyone who came to Australia to commit serious crimes had "better be prepared to serve significant terms of imprisonment". He ordered Wong to serve a minimum term of four years. Defence barrister David Glynn had said Wong was paid about US$30,000 (RM93,334) for five months' work to clear a gambling debt in Hong Kong. Judge Gullaci found that Wong had played a pivotal and crucial role in the offences and had been motivated by greed. Wong pleaded guilty to nine charges, including six of dealing with property reasonably suspected of being proceeds of crime. -- BERNAMA