3 Chinese nationals jailed for illegal cyber activities in S’pore, police seize over S$22M in assets

Chinese nationals sentenced to jail for hacking overseas gambling sites & stealing personal data

Three Chinese nationals have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a major cybercrime operation based in Singapore that targeted overseas gambling websites, stealing personal data, and hacking systems to cheat during gameplay.

Authorities seized over S$22 million in cash, cryptocurrency, vehicles, and luxury goods, with an additional S$30 million in properties frozen as part of the probe.

Part of global syndicate busted in major SPF operation

According to a Singapore Police Force (SPF) statement on 5 Nov, the trio — Yan Peijian (39), Huang Qinzheng (37), and Liu Yuqi (33) — were sentenced to over two years in jail each.

They were among six people arrested on 9 Sept 2024 during an SPF-led operation targeting a global crime syndicate.

The men were nabbed during a raid at a landed property along Mount Sinai Avenue, where investigators uncovered evidence linking them to a large-scale hacking ring.

The trio’s roles included probing websites for vulnerabilities, testing hacking tools, and extracting databases of personal information for trade on illicit networks.

Further investigations revealed that the syndicate had obtained foreign government data and confidential communications, suggesting a wider global reach.

All three were found in possession of hundreds of malware programs and advanced hacking tools capable of carrying out cyberattacks.

Police seize millions in cash, crypto & assets

In total, police seized S$22 million worth of assets, including:

• Cash and bank accounts
• Luxury vehicles
• Cryptocurrencies
• High-end liquor collections

Authorities also issued prohibition-of-disposal orders for four properties worth over S$30 million, believed to be linked to the illegal proceeds.

Trio jailed for over 2 years each, leader still on the run

All three were convicted of the same offences:

• Being members of an organised crime group
• Acquiring property from criminal conduct
• Possessing computer programmes capable of committing offences
• Making false declarations of employment

Yan and Huang each received 28 months and one week in jail, while Liu was sentenced to 28 months and four weeks.

Two other suspects from the same operation still face court proceedings, while the syndicate leader remains at large overseas, SPF said.

Police reiterated their commitment to cracking down on cybercrime and organised syndicates, warning that Singapore will not be used as a base for illegal online activities.

Also read: Chinese national linked to global cybercrime group convicted in S’pore, S$465K & crypto wallet seized

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Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force and MustShareNews.