The Police have arrested a 33-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a series of online extortion.
On 19 October 2020 at about 10.00pm, the Police received a report from a victim stating that she was extorted by a man, whom she befriended online on a dating application. The victim claimed that she was asked to send compromising videos of herself to the man before they met and the man then requested for a meetup in Malaysia. While the victim was in Malaysia, the man sent a driver to pick her up and she was purportedly threatened to engage in sexual acts with the driver so that her compromising videos would not be circulated. The victim relented to the demand. After the victim returned to Singapore, she claimed that she continued to receive threats by the same man to transfer money to him to prevent her compromising videos from being circulated. Between February and October 2020, the victim transferred about $200,000 to a bank account provided by the man. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man who befriended the woman online is believed to be the driver that the man had sent to pick up the victim.
Through follow up investigations, officers from Bedok Police Division established the identity of the man. With the assistance of the Royal Malaysia Police, the man was arrested on 28 January 2021. The man is also believed to be involved in similar reported cases involving other female victims. Investigations are ongoing.
The man will be charged in court on 30 January 2021 with extortion under Section 384 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224. The offence of extortion carries an imprisonment term of not less than two years and not more than seven years, and caning.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Julius Lim, Commander of Bedok Police Division, said, “On behalf of the Singapore Police Force, I would like to thank the Royal Malaysia Police for their invaluable assistance in helping to make this arrest possible. This is yet another example of the deep friendship and partnership built between both law enforcement agencies over the years. Transnational criminals who seek to harm our residents should expect to feel the long arm of the law.”
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
30 January 2021 @ 7:00 AM