The recent apprehension of ten foreign nationals in Singapore as part of a large-scale billion-dollar money laundering operation has thrust their alleged associations with business interests, both domestic and international, into the spotlight. This has also raised questions about the various countries where some of these individuals hold citizenship. The Straits Times embarked on an investigative journey, utilizing publicly accessible data, to delve into the intricate web of their global and local connections. Additionally, the newspaper received pertinent information from a source connected to the United Nations, which recently shed light on the role played by scam centers in Southeast Asia in facilitating human trafficking.
The ten individuals facing money laundering charges in Singapore possess citizenship in seven distinct jurisdictions, with indications suggesting that all of them originally hail from China. Remarkably, nine of these individuals were granted Cambodian citizenship between August 2018 and March 2021, a fact confirmed by an official gazette published by the Cambodian government. It’s important to note that China does not permit dual citizenship. Notably, Cyber Scam Monitor, a website managed by an anonymous group comprised of individuals from the fields of human rights, humanitarian work, academia, and media, was among the first to report on the granting of Cambodian citizenship to these nine individuals, who are also believed to have business connections in Cambodia.
Furthermore, an examination of the accused persons’ business interests in Singapore revealed a striking commonality. A certain individual, identified solely as “JJ” by The Straits Times, emerges as a central figure. JJ is listed as a director or shareholder in a staggering 185 firms across Singapore. This intricate tapestry of business affiliations, combined with the substantial assets involved in the case, presents a formidable challenge to unravel. The prosecution successfully argued for the continued detention of the accused individuals, citing alleged ties to fugitives from foreign jurisdictions and international criminal syndicates. It is worth noting that some of this information was obtained, in part, from the accused themselves. The ten individuals arrested on August 15 are scheduled to make their next court appearance on Wednesday. Additionally, on August 27, the Singaporean Ministry of Law reached out to dealers in precious metals and stones, flagging the names of individuals who may be linked to suspicious transactions. This list included 34 individuals, including the ten accused persons.
The 10 accused:
- Zhang Ruijin, 44
- Lin Baoying, 43
- Su Baolin, 41
- Su Haijin, 40
- Vang Shuiming (Alias: Wang Shuiming), 42
- Wang Dehai, 34
- Su Wenqiang, 31
- Su Jianfeng, 35
- Chen Qingyuan, 33
- Wang Baosen, 31
(Source: David Sun | Nadine Chua | The Straits Times)
