Last week, news of a massive anti-money laundering aid in which authorities seized S$1 billion worth of cash and assets rocked Singapore.
The police arrested 10 foreign nationals in the raids. Although they were of various nationalities, they all curiously had Chinese names.
New information has since surfaced, purporting that the individuals originated from China and were nicknamed the “Fujian gang”.
Three of the 10 foreigners arrested (from left): Wang Dehai, Su Jianfeng and Su Wenqiang. Source: China Police via Lianhe Zaobao
For years, they’ve been living it up in Singapore, partying at places like Marina Square and Orchard.
The “Fujian gang” has been in Singapore for six to seven years, an anonymous source told Shin Min Daily News.
Claiming to have met some of the suspects, they said they all led a “high-profile” lifestyle.
That included driving luxury cars like Lamborghinis and Ferraris — several of which were seized during the raids.
Source: Singapore Police Force on Facebook
Other people in the know also said they liked to shop at Takashimaya.
Their lifestyle included hanging out at high-end nightclubs in town, drinking and singing, the source said.
They would usually be accompanied by girls from China.
Some of these establishments were the infamous “flower joints” where patrons buy sashes and garlands for hostesses in return for companionship.
Sometimes, they would spend up to S$1 million at these places.
Unsurprisingly, the group gained a reputation for their lavish spending.
Before the pandemic, they would frequent the high-end nightclubs around Marina Square. Later, they shifted to the Orchard area.
Separately, a real estate agent gave Lianhe Zaobao some background on the “Fujian gang”.
As their moniker suggests, they all come from the Fujian province in China and there may be dozens or even hundreds of them.
The gang comprises factions by surnames such as “Su”, “Wang”, “Hu” and “Chen”. While the factions may not be close or have frequent contact, they are aware of one another’s existence.
Among the 10 arrested, 34-year-old Cypriot national Wang Dehai is believed to be the leader of the “Wang” faction.
40-year-old Cypriot national Su Haijin allegedly leads the “Su” faction.
He reportedly jumped off the balcony of his bungalow in Ewart Park in Bukit Timah and hid inside a drain in a bid to escape.
Su was also reportedly a director of No Signboard Holdings (NSH) from October 2021 to June 2022.
His older brother, 41-year-old Cambodian national Su Baolin, was arrested at a bungalow on Nassim Road.
Source: Web archive of Xiamen Xinbao Investment Holdings
He is the founder of Xiamen Xinbao Investment Holdings and Meinin E-Commerce, according to Xiamen Xinbao’s website, which has since been taken down.
The write-up goes on to say that he established a company called Xinbao Investment Holdings in Singapore.
The real estate agent went on to say that members of the “Fujian gang” like to splash their money on Good Class Bungalows (GCBs) in districts like Orchard and Sentosa Cove.
Despite their wealth, they still haggle for up to 20% or 30% discount on the prices, something the agent put down to their lack of education.
Su Haijin’s bungalow in Ewart Park. Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
That’s why some senior agents generally try to avoid dealing with them, for fear of trouble.
Notable real-estate deals involving “Fujian gang” members include:
As foreigners are generally not allowed to buy GCBs in areas other than Sentosa Cove, the 10 arrested individuals were limited to renting them, the agent said.
An agent who deals with luxury rentals told Lianhe Zaobao that they had encountered more tenants from China who were particularly generous in the past year.
This was previously rare, they said.
For example, a tenant from China was willing to sign a five-year contract to rent a GCB for S$40,000 monthly and intended to spend S$1 million on renovations.
Perhaps that’s why the demand for GCBs has exceeded supply, they said, resulting in landlords becoming greedy and raising their rentals.
Real estate agents interviewed praised law enforcement authorities in Singapore for arresting the 10 foreigners for suspected money laundering, saying this would help the local property market.
One of the agents said that these people were literally spoiling the market by buying and renting properties at will, not helping Singapore’s economy.
As Su Haijin is expected in court this week, there may be more revelations to come yet in this riveting saga.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News and Xiamen Xinbao Investment Holdings.
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