9 S'poreans charged for being members of Cambodian syndicate, earned commission for each successful scam
Eight Singaporean men, one Singaporean woman, two Malaysian men and one Filipino woman were arrested in Singapore on Sept 9 for allegedly being involved in crimes committed by a syndicate based in Cambodia.
The arrests were the result of a cross-border operation conducted by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Cambodian National Police (CNP).
The syndicate is believed to be responsible for at least 330 reported cases involving losses exceeding $40 million.
Since December 2024, the SPF had received reports of scams where victims in Singapore were deceived into losing large sums of money through a three-step process.
First, a scammer impersonating bank staff would call the victim.
Next, the scammer would direct the victims to another scammer, who would impersonate a government official, either a police officer or an official from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Finally, the second scammer would dupe the victim into believing that his or her bank account was implicated in an ongoing criminal investigation. The victim would be ordered to surrender the funds in the bank account for investigation. The scammer would instruct the victim to transfer the money into a bank account controlled by the syndicate.
Through extensive information sharing and joint investigations between the SPF and CNP, it was established that the syndicate was secretly operating out of a scam centre in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and targeted victims in Singapore.
Based on preliminary findings, members of the syndicate travelled to Cambodia willingly and earned commissions for each successful scam they committed.
During the joint operation on Sept 9, officers from Singapore's Criminal Investigation Department and Police Intelligence Department conducted raids at multiple locations in Singapore, including residential apartments and hotel rooms.
Some of the 12 suspects arrested are believed to have acted as callers on behalf of the syndicate and had just returned to Singapore from Cambodia.
The Anti-Cyber Crime Department of the CNP also carried out raids on a building and a warehouse in Phnom Penh. CNP officers discovered electronic devices and equipment believed to have been used by the syndicate.
More than $2.5 million worth of funds from bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets, 53 electronic devices, copies of scam scripts and victims' records were seized.
The 12 suspects were charged in court on Sept 11 for being members of a locally-linked organised criminal group.
The nine Singaporerans are Deon Tan Ke Yuan, 25; Lester Ng Jing Hai, 29; Christy Neo Wei En, 29; Heiqal Lee, 30; Tay Jun Xiang, 32; Ng Wei Kang, 33; Zachary Lee Jia An, 35; Melvin Tan Wenzheng, 35 and Lau Haoxiang, 39.
The remaining three are Malaysians Muhamad Asyraf Anuar and Yip Chee Ming, both 29, and Filipina De Villar Rizalyn Panganiban, 34.
If convicted, they will be liable to a fine of up to $100,000, imprisonment for a term of up to five years or both.
Many other syndicate members are at large. The operation by CNP is ongoing, and the SPF is working closely with foreign law enforcement agencies to establish their whereabouts to arrest them.
