GEORGETOWN: Five men, including a Datuk, were charged at two sessions courts here today with being members of an organised criminal group.
Lim Boon Hooi, 46 and Toh Kae Luen, 25 nodded after the charges were read to them in Hokkien and Mandarin respectively in front of judge NorSalha Hamzah.
Norsalha denied them bail and fixed July 5 for mention at the Penang High Court.
Meanwhile, in a different court, Datuk Koh Thiam Hua, 37, Chan Yi Heng, 22 and Harry Tan Cheng Yu, 31 were charged with the same offense.
All three nodded after the charges were read to them in Mandarin before judge Irwan Suaibon.
Lawyer S. Raveentharan, representing Chan, asked the court to set a different date for his client, citing that he is a young offender.
However, Irwan set the same date of July 5 for the three men and denied bail for all the accused.
If convicted, they face a minimum jail term of five years or a maximum of 20 years.
No plea was recorded from any of the accused.
All cases were prosecuted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Lim Cheah Yit.