SPF Says Businessman Wanted For S$7M Reward Is In S’pore, His Passport Was Impounded

Wanted Businessman Kwek Kee Seng Is Still In Singapore, Says Police

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) confirmed on 5 Nov that wanted Singaporean businessman Kwek Kee Seng is currently in Singapore.

Since April last year, Kwek’s passport has been impounded, SPF said.

Kwek, who has a S$7 million bounty on him, is suspected of shipping oil to North Korea, which is illegal.

Source: Rewards For Justice

The 62-year-old owner of Swanseas Port Services (S) Pte Ltd is also suspected of money laundering.

SPF says Kwek Kee Seng is in Singapore, passport impounded

Rewards For Justice, a national security rewards programme under the United States, noted that Kwek’s known locales were:

• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• North Korea
• Singapore
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• Taiwan
• Thailand

According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Kwek has been under investigation by the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) under Singapore’s United Nations Act 2001 since 23 Apr last year.

Source: Rewards for Justice

Five days later, SPF started investigations against him five days later for offences under Section 5 of the United Nations Act 2001.

Authorities impounded his Singapore passport on the same date.

SPF said the US Department of Justice filed a criminal complaint against him for allegedly conspiring to evade economic sanctions against North Korea.

Kwek allegedly purchased a tanker, Courageous, to make oil shipments with North Korean vessels and a port in Nampo in early 2019.

He also allegedly funnelled US dollars through front companies to conceal payment origins, according to Rewards for Justice.

Police cooperating with US counterparts

SPF said it wrote to the US on 4 Nov to seek clarification on the Kwek Kee Seng case.

It had been in active communication over the case until then.

“Singapore will continue to assist the US authorities within the ambit of our laws and international obligations,” said SPF in its statement.

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Featured image adapted from Rewards for Justice.