3 PRC Nationals Among 10 Foreigners Arrested In S$1 Billion Money Laundering Raids Across S’pore

10 Foreigners Arrested In S$1 Billion Money Laundering Raids Include 3 PRC & 3 Cambodian Nationals

On Wednesday (16 Aug) night, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) shocked the nation with news of a massive cross-island operation in which they seized S$1 billion worth of assets from alleged money laundering activities.

What stood out about the case was that all 10 suspects arrested were foreigners.

Of the 10, three are reportedly People’s Republic of China (PRC) nationals while the rest are from Cambodia, Cyprus, Türkiye, and Vanuatu. Despite the various nationalities, all 10 of them have Chinese names.

Here’s what we know so far about the suspects.

1. 2 PRC nationals arrested at Sentosa Island bungalow

Of the three PRC nationals, two were arrested at their residence on Pearl Island, in the luxurious Sentosa Cove enclave.

The pair comprises 44-year-old Zhang Ruijin and 43-year-old Lin Baoying, a woman Zhang referred to as his “lover”, reported The Business Times.

Even though both were identified as PRC nationals, they hold foreign passports believed to be issued by other countries.

Zhang reportedly has a passport from St Kitts and Nevis — an island country in the Caribbean — while Lin has passports from the Dominican Republic and Türkiye.

Items seized: 

• S$7.6 million in cash and other foreign currencies
• Bank account with a balance of more than S$22 million frozen
• Nine properties and five vehicles worth over S$106 million (prohibition of disposal orders issued)

Charge they face: 

• Forgery for the purpose of cheating

2. 31-year-old PRC national arrested at Orchard condo

Police arrested Wang Baosen, the remaining PRC national, at a condominium along Tomlinson Road in Orchard.

Officers found a passport, believed to be issued by Vanuatu — an island nation in the Pacific Ocean — in Wang’s possession.

Items seized: 

• S$112,000 in cash and other foreign currencies
• Three electronic devices
• One vehicle worth more than S$300,000 (prohibition of disposal order issued)

Charge he faces: 

• Money laundering

3. 41-year-old Cambodian man arrested at Bukit Timah GCB

Besides the PRC nationals, three Cambodian nationals were also arrested in the islandwide raids.

The first of these is 41-year-old Su Baolin, whom police arrested at a Good Class Bungalow (GCB) along Nassim Road in Bukit Timah.

In his possession was a foreign passport believed to be issued by the PRC.

Items seized: 

• S$777,000 in cash and other foreign currencies
• 11 electronic devices
• 33 luxury bags and watches
• 75 pieces of jewellery
• Three bank accounts with a balance of more than S$2.4 million, frozen by police
• Seven properties and six vehicles worth over S$76 million (prohibition of disposal orders issued)

Charge he faces: 

• Usage of forged document

4. 31-year-old Cambodian man arrested at another Bukit Timah GCB

The police similarly arrested 31-year-old Su Wenqiang, whom they identified as a Cambodian national, at a GCB along Lewis Road in the upscale Bukit Timah estate.

They found a foreign passport believed to be issued by the PRC in Su’s possession.

Items seized: 

• S$600,000 in cash and other foreign currencies
• 11 electronic devices
• 16 luxury bags and watches
• 11 pieces of jewellery
• Multiple bottles of liquor and wine
• Eight bank accounts with a total balance of more than S$10 million frozen
• Two vehicles worth more than S$580,000 (prohibition of disposal orders issued)

Charge he faces: 

• Money laundering

5. 33-year-old Cambodian man arrested at River Valley condo

The last Cambodian national was identified as 33-year-old Chen Qingyuan.

Unlike the other two, police arrested Chen in a condominium along Leonie Hill Road in River Valley.

Chen reportedly had in his possession foreign passports from the PRC and Dominican Republic.

Items seized: 

• S$600,000 in cash and other foreign currencies
• Six luxury watches
• 23 pieces of jewellery
• 11 documents with information on virtual assets
• 12 electronic devices
• Two bank accounts with a total balance of more than S$28,000 frozen
• One property and three vehicles worth over S$12.6 million (prohibition of disposal orders issued)

Charge he faces: 

• Money laundering

6. 40-year-old Cypriot man arrested at Holland GCB

Meanwhile, police identified one of the Cypriots arrested as 40-year-old Su Haijin.

Of the 10 arrests, Su’s was probably the most dramatic.

According to the Singapore Police Force (SPF) press release on Wednesday (16 Aug), Su jumped from the second floor of his GCB when officers identified themselves outside his bedroom.

The police eventually found the 40-year-old hiding in a drain.

On Wednesday (16 Aug), Su reportedly told the court that he wasn’t trying to run away from the police. He thought the knocks were from a man whose girlfriend he had an “intimate encounter” with.

According to The Straits Times (ST), Su fractured his hands and legs as a result of the jump.

During the time of arrest, he had foreign passports from the PRC and Cambodia.

Items seized: 

• S$2.1 million in cash and other foreign currencies
• Four bank accounts with a total balance of more than S$6.7 million frozen
• 13 properties and five vehicles worth over S$118 million (prohibition of disposal orders issued)
• Multiple ornaments and bottles of liquor and wine (prohibition of disposal orders issued)

Charge he faces: 

• Resistance to lawful apprehension

7. 34-year-old Cypriot man arrested at Orchard condo

34-year-old Wang Dehai was the other Cypriot arrested during the islandwide raids on Tuesday (15 Aug).

ST reported that police arrested Wang at his condominium along Paterson Hill in Orchard.

Similar to Su, Wang reportedly had foreign passports from the PRC and Cambodia.

Items seized: 

• S$2.2 million in cash
• 11 electronic devices
• 35 luxury watches and bags
• 51 pieces of jewellery
• Five bank accounts with a total balance of more than S$1.7 million frozen
• One property and two vehicles valued at more than S$23 million (prohibition of disposal orders issued)

Charge he faces: 

• Money laundering

8. 42-year-old Turkish man arrested at Tanglin GCB

The sole Turkish suspect was arrested at a GCB along Bishopgate in Tanglin.

Identified as 42-year-old Vang Shuiming, the man was holding two foreign passports believed to be issued by the PRC and Vanuatu.

Items seized: 

• S$720,000 in cash and other foreign currencies
• One electronic device
• 36 luxury watches and bags
• Two bank accounts with a total balance of more than S$1.18 million frozen
• Four properties and three vehicles valued at more than S$29 million (prohibition of disposal orders issued)
• Multiple bottles of liquor and wine (prohibition of disposal orders issued)

Charge he faces: 

• Usage of forged document

9. 35-year-old Ni-Vanuatu man arrested at Bukit Timah GCB

The last of the 10 arrested suspects was Su Jianfeng, a 35-year-old male, Ni-Vanuatu national.

He was arrested at his residence, a GCB reportedly located along Third Avenue in Bukit Timah.

In his possession was a foreign passport believed to be issued by the PRC.

Items seized: 

• S$1.4 million in cash and other foreign currencies
• 95 pieces of jewellery
• 69 luxury bags and watches
• 22 electronic devices
• Two gold bars
• Six bank accounts with a total balance of more than S$20 million frozen
• 13 properties and four vehicles valued at more than S$120 million (prohibition of disposal orders issued)

Charge he faces: 

• Money laundering

All 10 suspects arrested & charged

In total, the police seized cash amounting to S$23 million as well as other items of value. These include:

• >250 luxury bags and watches
• >120 electronic devices
• > 270 pieces of jewellery
• Two gold bars
• 11 documents with information on virtual assets

The police also issued prohibition of disposal orders for 94 properties and 50 vehicles. These assets have an estimated value of more than S$815 million.

All 10 suspects have been charged on Wednesday (16 Aug) and remanded.

Their cases have been adjourned to next week.

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Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force.