On Monday, three Singaporean individuals were apprehended in Johor for their alleged involvement in money laundering schemes targeting scam victims in Singapore.
The joint operation conducted by the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) of the Singapore Police Force, as well as the Bukit Aman and Johor Commercial Crime Investigation Departments of the Royal Malaysia Police, led to the arrest of the trio, aged between 26 and 40, in a Johor apartment complex.
According to preliminary investigations, it was discovered that these men obtained Singaporean bank accounts through popular chat platforms like Telegram and Facebook.
They allegedly used these accounts to launder money obtained from various scams, including investment scams, job scams, e-commerce scams, and government official impersonation scams reported in Singapore.
Over 50 police reports were filed against the men, with the victims collectively losing more than $2.9 million.
Two of the three men, and 26 and a 34-year-old, were extradited back to Singapore on Friday., where they will then face charges in court on Saturday. If found guilty of assisting others in retaining proceeds from criminal activities, they could face imprisonment for up to 10 years and/or a fine of up to $500,000.
Meanwhile, the third Singaporean individual is currently under investigation by the Malaysian police for a separate offense committed in Malaysia.
CAD’s deputy director, Shee Tek Tze, advised the public to disregard offers promising quick financial gains in exchange for the use of their bank accounts.
He emphasized that scammers rely on money mules and their bank accounts to launder and transfer scam proceeds outside of Singapore, in order to evade detection and seizure by law enforcement authorities.
He further warned that scammers are constantly seeking new bank accounts to facilitate their money laundering activities.
Earlier this year in February, a similar syndicate was dismantled following raids in Johor and Singapore. This operation resulted in the arrest of 12 Malaysians, aged 16 to 27, who carried out their fake friend scams on Singaporeans.
To obtain more information about scams or to report suspicious activities, the public can contact the anti-scam hotline at 1800-722-6688 or visit the website www.scamalert.sg.