In a joint operation conducted by the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Johor Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) of the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP), a money laundering syndicate was crippled through a raid conducted in Johor, Malaysia.
The SPF and the RMP have been working closely to share critical information of scam cases. Through protracted investigations and evidence gathering, a money laundering cell operating in Johor, Malaysia was identified. On 9 August 2024, CCID/RMP officers conducted a raid at two locations in Johor, Malaysia and arrested 12 Malaysian nationals for their suspected involvement in money laundering activities using Singapore bank accounts. Among these 12 persons was a 22-year-old male Malaysian, who is believed to be responsible for bringing foreigners to Singapore to open bank accounts to facilitate money-laundering activities relating to scams.
The 22-year-old man was extradited to Singapore on 18 August 2024 and will be charged in court on 19 August 2024 for being party to a criminal conspiracy to obtain online banking credential in committing unauthorised access to computer material, which is an offence under Section 10(3) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993 read with Section 120B and Section 108B of the Penal Code 1871. The offence is punishable with imprisonment up to 3 years and a fine.
Director CAD, Mr David Chew said, “Scams continue to be a crime of concern. This syndicate, allegedly involved in the provision of Singapore bank accounts for use by the money laundering cell, was a key player in the illicit movement of funds derived from a range of fraudulent scams. These accounts were fraudulently exploited to launder the proceeds of various scams through Singapore’s financial system. The SPF will continue to collaborate closely with our Malaysian counterparts to detect and deter these transnational syndicates who use the anonymity of the Internet to commit crimes and launder through criminal proceeds through the banking system. I would like to thank Chief Police Officer (CPO) Johor, CP M. Kumar S/O S. Muthuvelu and his officers from the Johor Commercial Crime Investigations Department for their strong support and commitment in tackling transnational crime syndicates that target our citizens. There will be no safe haven for those who attempt to abuse the trust and security of our financial institutions.”
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
18 August 2024 @ 8:05 PM