'Lightning heist': 6 men get jail over S$4.9 million armed gang robbery at King Albert Park GCB

Two of the men hatched a plan to rob the house after learning that a woman regularly held high-stakes poker games there.

Two of the armed robbers: Muhammad Tauffiq Ahmad Fauzi (left) and Goh Boon Tong. (Photos: Singapore Police Force)

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SINGAPORE: After learning that a woman regularly hosted high-stakes poker games at her home in Singapore's affluent Bukit Timah area, two men plotted to rob the house, recruiting a group of people from Malaysia and conducting surveillance before carrying out the plan.

Prosecutors said seven men entered the King Albert Park Good Class Bungalow the early hours of Apr 18, 2024 in a "lightning heist", some of them armed with machetes and baseball bats. They tied up the people inside and stole about S$4.9 million (US$3.9 million) in cash, valuables and cryptocurrency.

The men then fled Singapore with the loot in two cars, crossing the border into Malaysia through the Tuas and Woodlands checkpoints in what the judge called an "audacious and well-planned" operation disrupting peace and tranquility.

Most of the men in the group were subsequently arrested and taken back to Singapore to face prosecution. One man, 33-year-old Malaysian Muhammad Yusuf Kassim, remains at large and is believed to have left Malaysia for Thailand, court documents stated.

On Monday (Sep 14), the six Malaysian men pleaded guilty to various charges, including armed gang robbery and removing criminal benefits from jurisdiction. They were sentenced to jail terms of between seven years and eight months, and 12 years and 11 months, along with 24 strokes of the cane for those aged below 50.

They are: Wong Chi Shan, 35, Goh Boon Tong, 30, Mohd Hamidon Ahmed, 49, Kartik Palaniappan, 34, Mohd Hashim Ismail, 51, and Muhammad Tauffiq Ahmad Fauzi, 34.

The prosecution said this was one of the highest-value robberies in Singapore, if not the highest, in nominal terms. A gold bar case in the 1970s would be higher if inflation is accounted for.

In November 2023, Wong and Goh learned that high-stakes poker games were being held at a house in the King Albert Park area, where many landed properties and Good Class Bungalows are located.

They knew someone who had taken part in the games, court documents stated.

The games involved stakes of up to a few hundred thousand dollars, with payments settled using cryptocurrency, the court heard.

Wong and Goh visited the house and observed that the gate was left open and the wooden door unlocked during the poker game.

Several months later, in March or April 2024, Wong suggested robbing the house. But he and Goh knew they would need more people to carry out the plan.

Goh approached Hamidon, whom he had met at an event where Hamidon had provided private security. Hamidon ran his own private security firm as well as debt collection services.

Wong and Goh met Hamidon to discuss the operation. Hamidon was to recruit men to intimidate and subdue the victims in exchange for RM1.5 million (S$467,000), which would be split among his team.

Hamidon obtained a deposit of RM10,000 before recruiting the others. He did not initially tell them the details of the operation, but they knew it involved illegal activity.

Wong and Goh decided the robbers would wear black clothing, gloves and ski masks.

On Apr 15, 2024, Wong drove into Singapore via Woodlands Checkpoint and checked into a hotel. However, despite a poker game ongoing at the house, Hamidon's team was not ready and the robbery did not take place.

Meanwhile, Hamidon's team prepared themselves with black clothing, ski masks, gloves, duct tape and cable ties.

The following day, Wong and Goh drove past the house but found that no poker game was taking place. They instructed Hamidon's team to remain in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

The next night, however, a poker game was in progress.

Goh and Wong instructed Hamidon to meet them at a car park in Geylang. Hamidon and his team entered Singapore through Woodlands Checkpoint in a vehicle at about 10.45pm on Apr 17.

They met Wong and Goh at the car park, where they were shown photographs of the house and briefed on how to enter it. Machetes and baseball bats were placed in Hamidon's vehicle.

Before 2.05am on Apr 18, 2024, the seven men drove to the house and parked outside.

Three of them were armed with machetes, while two carried baseball bats.

The men entered through the unlocked gate and main door while the poker game was still taking place.

Those in the house were:

Ms Li Xiaoyu, a Chinese national and the hostess of the game

Mr Li Yang, her husband who was a tenant at the house

Mr Hu Zhi Peng, a Chinese national who stayed at the house and helped Ms Li with organising the poker game

Ms Mo Ran, a South Korean woman hired as a card dealer

Mr Yap Kian Yeap, a Malaysian hired to provide massages during the poker game

Seven poker players: Indonesian Andrew Halim, Chinese national Liu Yi, and Singaporeans Macus Yap Jin Xin, Ceesvin Abraham Abdulla, Lim Yah Loon, Hoo Teng Yang and Ho Bao Qiang.

The robbers first encountered Mr Hu, who had just exited the toilet near the main door. They pointed a machete at him and taped his mouth, wrists and ankles before telling him to sit in the toilet.

The robbers then moved into the living room and ordered the victims to put their hands in the air, lower their heads and place their phones on a table.

The victims complied. They were tied up and had their mouths taped while the robbers searched the house for valuables.

Goh and Wong checked the victims' phones for cryptocurrency applications and discovered sizable amounts of crypto in the hostess' phone apps.

The group carried out crypto transfers to a wallet they controlled, emptied cash from a safe in the living room and ransacked a bedroom.

In total, this is what they took:

From Ms Li: S$210,000 in cash, about US$40,000 in cash, S$55,500 worth of Emirati dirham, about S$3.6 million in cryptocurrency and a Patek Philippe watch worth more than S$500,000

From Mr Abdulla: S$1,300 in cash and one Rolex watch worth S$55,000

From Mr Hoo: S$3,000 in cash and one Rolex watch worth S$55,300

From Mr Macus Yap: A Samsung Galaxy smartwatch worth S$452

From the masseuse also surnamed Yap: A Huawei watch worth S$400 and S$1,000 in cash

From Mr Ho: A Richard Mille watch worth S$320,000 and a Ferrari car key worth S$1,000

The seven men then left in their vehicle to another location where they split up from Goh and Wong.

As part of their escape plan, Wong and Goh left in their car via Tuas Checkpoint at about 2.15am while the rest left via Woodlands Checkpoint in a second vehicle at about 2.40am. They arranged to regroup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

They discarded the weapons and clothing used in the robbery along the way.

Meanwhile, the victims managed to free themselves and called the police. They sustained minor injuries from being bound.

Goh and Wong drove to Kuala Lumpur that same day, where Wong transferred about 1.1 million USDT to Goh as his share of the loot. USD Tether is a cryptocurrency pegged to the US dollar.

Goh and Wong managed to find buyers for their coins while in Kuala Lumpur, receiving RM1.49 million in cash for an unspecified amount of USDT.

They handed the cash over to Hamidon and Yusuf in Kuala Lumpur as the remaining payment to Hamidon's team, in exchange for the stolen cash and valuables.

Hamidon and Yusuf gave RM100,000 to two friends in Malaysia who had helped to coordinate their activities. Hamidon kept RM445,000, while Tauffiq, Hashim and Kartik each received RM100,000. Yusuf kept RM645,000, of which his share was to be RM245,000. He claimed that he would safekeep the remainder for the team.

The six Malaysian robbers were arrested in Malaysia by the Royal Malaysian Police between April 2024 and November 2024. Tauffiq was nabbed before he boarded a flight to Kota Kinabalu, while Goh was arrested at the airport before getting onto a plane for Japan.

Of the S$4.9 million stolen, the Singapore Police Force managed to recover only about S$1.69 million. About S$3.21 million has been lost, said lead prosecutor Dillon Kok.

Wong and Goh also pleaded guilty to other charges involving sex work by Japanese women.

Mr Kok sought various jail terms for the six men, according to their relative culpability, with Wong and Goh pegged at the highest culpability.

The jail terms sought by the prosecution range from the lower end of seven years and eight months to 13 years and one month, with 24 strokes of the cane.

Wong was represented by Mr Don Tan, while Goh was represented by Mr Thangavelu, Ms Tan Jun Yin and Ms Sugenya Manogaran. Mr James Gomez Jovan Messiah defended Kartik, while Mr Ariffin Sha represented Hashim. Ms Estelle Tai represented Tauffiq, while Mr SS Dhillon acted for Hamidon.

Mr Gomez and Mr Ariffin said their clients received only RM100,000 each, while Ms Tai said her client was largely kept in the dark about details of the robbery. Mr Tan said no injuries were caused in the robbery.

Mr Dhillon said his client Hamidon was turning 50 in the coming months but did not cause any undue delay in the matter going to court in order to avoid caning.

He said Hamidon had refused to prepare weapons for the robbery, instead preparing duct tape and cable ties. He was not armed at all during the robbery, said the lawyer.

Ms Sugenya said Goh helped authorities recover about 800,000 USDT out of the 1.1 million USDT he received, which she called a substantial recovery.

In sentencing, Justice Aidan Xu said this was an "audacious and well-planned" armed gang robbery "which has disrupted the peace and tranquility". He said the sentence must deter any future such attempts and punish those involved.

Justice Xu said Singapore is by and large a safe country, thanks to the efforts of law enforcement agencies and members of the public.

"We expect our homes to be secure ... those who disturb that peace and security ... can only expect to be treated severely," he said.

Wong and Goh were each sentenced to 12 years and 11 months' jail, 24 strokes of the cane and a fine of S$4,000.

Hamidon was given 10-and-a-half years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane, while Kartik and Tauffiq received seven years and eight months' jail and 24 strokes of the cane.

Hashim, who cannot be caned due to his age, was sentenced to eight years and eight months' jail.

For armed gang robbery, an offender can be jailed for between five and 20 years and is liable to 24 strokes of the cane.

CNA has contacted the Attorney-General’s Chambers on whether any action has been taken against the victims for illegal gambling.

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其中两名男子得知一名女子经常在家中举行高额赌注的扑克牌局后，便密谋抢劫这所房子。

两名持械劫匪：穆罕默德·陶菲克·艾哈迈德·法兹（左）和吴文东。（图片：新加坡警察部队）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：两名男子得知一名女子经常在新加坡富裕的武吉知马地区的家中举办高额赌注的扑克牌局后，密谋抢劫这所房子。他们从马来西亚招募了一群人，并在实施计划前进行了监视。

检方称，2024年4月18日凌晨，七名男子持刀闯入位于国王阿尔伯特公园的高档别墅，实施“闪电抢劫”。其中一些人手持砍刀和棒球棍。他们将屋内人员捆绑起来，抢走了价值约490万新元（390万美元）的现金、贵重物品和加密货币。

随后，这些人带着赃物乘坐两辆车逃离新加坡，经由大士和兀兰关卡越过边境进入马来西亚。法官称这是一起“大胆且精心策划”的行动，扰乱了和平与安宁。

该团伙中的大多数男子随后被捕并被带回新加坡接受审判。法庭文件显示，一名33岁的马来西亚籍男子穆罕默德·优素福·卡西姆仍然在逃，据信已离开马来西亚前往泰国。

周一（9月14日），六名马来西亚男子对包括武装团伙抢劫和转移犯罪所得在内的多项指控认罪。他们被判处七年零八个月至十二年零十一个月不等的监禁，其中50岁以下者还需接受24下鞭刑。

他们是：Wong Chi Shan，35岁，Goh Boon Tong，30岁，Mohd Hamidon Ahmed，49岁，Kartik Palaniappan，34岁，Mohd Hashim Ismail，51岁，和Muhammad Tauffiq Ahmad Fauzi，34岁。

检方称，这起案件即使不是新加坡历史上涉案金额最高的，也是数一数二的（按名义价值计算）。如果将通货膨胀因素考虑在内，上世纪70年代的金条抢劫案涉案金额会更高。

2023 年 11 月，黄和吴得知有人在金阿尔伯特公园地区的一栋房子里举行高额赌注的扑克游戏，而该地区有很多有地住宅和优质洋房。

法庭文件显示，他们认识一位参加过比赛的人。

法庭获悉，这些赌博游戏涉及的赌注高达数十万美元，赔付以加密货币进行结算。

黄和吴到访了这所房子，发现打牌时大门敞开，木门也没有上锁。

几个月后，大约在2024年3月或4月，黄提议抢劫这栋房子。但他和吴都知道，他们需要更多的人手来实施这个计划。

吴先生主动联系了哈米顿，两人曾在一次活动中相识，当时哈米顿负责提供私人安保服务。哈米顿经营着自己的私人安保公司，同时也提供债务催收服务。

黄和吴与哈米顿会面商讨行动方案。哈米顿的任务是招募人员恐吓和制服受害者，报酬为150万令吉（约合46.7万新元），这笔钱将由他的团队成员平分。

哈米顿在招募其他人之前，先收取了1万令吉的保证金。他起初并没有告诉他们行动的细节，但他们都知道这涉及非法活动。

黄和吴决定让劫匪穿黑色衣服，戴上手套和滑雪面罩。

2024年4月15日，黄某驾车经兀兰关卡进入新加坡，并入住一家酒店。然而，尽管酒店内正在进行扑克牌局，哈米顿的团伙却毫无准备，抢劫并未发生。

与此同时，哈米顿的团队准备了黑色服装、滑雪面罩、手套、胶带和扎带。

第二天，黄和吴开车经过那栋房子，发现并没有扑克牌局在进行。他们指示哈米顿的团队留在马来西亚柔佛州新山。

然而，第二天晚上，一场扑克牌局正在进行。

吴和黄指示哈米顿在芽笼的一个停车场与他们会面。4月17日晚上10点45分左右，哈米顿和他的团队乘车经兀兰关卡进入新加坡。

他们在停车场与黄和吴碰面，黄和吴向他们展示了房屋的照片，并告知了他们如何进入房屋。砍刀和棒球棍被放在了哈米顿的车里。

2024年4月18日凌晨2点05分之前，这七名男子开车来到这所房子，并将车停在外面。

其中三人手持砍刀，两人携带棒球棍。

扑克牌局还在进行时，几个男人从没上锁的大门和正门走了进去。

屋内人员包括：

李晓宇女士，中国公民，也是本次游戏的东道主。

她的丈夫李阳先生是这栋房子的房客。

胡志鹏先生是一位中国公民，他住在李女士家，并帮助她组织了扑克游戏。

莫兰女士，一名受雇担任发牌员的韩国女子。

叶建业先生是一位马来西亚人，受雇在扑克游戏期间提供按摩服务。

七位扑克选手：印度尼西亚选手 Andrew Halim、中国选手刘毅，以及新加坡选手 Macus Yap Jin Xin、Ceesvin Abraham Abdulla、Lim Yah Loon、Hoo Teng Yang 和 Ho Bao Qiang。

劫匪们首先遇到胡先生，当时他刚从靠近大门的洗手间出来。他们用砍刀指着他，用胶带绑住他的嘴、手腕和脚踝，然后命令他坐到洗手间里。

随后，劫匪进入客厅，命令受害者举起双手，低下头，并将手机放在桌子上。

受害者们被迫服从。他们被捆绑起来，嘴巴也被胶带封住，劫匪们则在屋内搜刮财物。

Goh 和 Wong 检查了受害者的手机，寻找加密货币应用程序，并在女招待的手机应用程序中发现了大量的加密货币。

该团伙将加密货币转移到他们控制的钱包中，清空了客厅保险箱里的现金，并洗劫了一间卧室。

他们总共拿走了以下物品：

李女士透露：现金21万新元，约4万美元现金，价值5.55万新元的阿联酋迪拉姆，价值约360万新元的加密货币，以及一块价值超过50万新元的百达翡丽手表。

阿卜杜拉先生捐赠：1300新元现金和一块价值55000新元的劳力士手表

胡先生捐赠：3000新元现金和一块价值55300新元的劳力士手表

来自 Macus Yap 先生：一块价值 452 新元的 Samsung Galaxy 智能手表

来自一位也姓叶的按摩师：一块价值400新元的华为手表和1000新元现金

何先生捐赠：一块价值32万新元的理查德·米勒手表和一把价值1000新元的法拉利车钥匙

然后，这七名男子乘车前往另一个地点，在那里与 Goh 和 Wong 分开了。

作为逃跑计划的一部分，黄和吴于凌晨2点15分左右驾车经大士关卡离开，其余人则于凌晨2点40分左右乘坐另一辆车经兀兰关卡离开。他们计划在马来西亚吉隆坡重新集结。

他们沿途丢弃了抢劫时使用的武器和衣物。

与此同时，受害者设法挣脱束缚并报警。他们因被捆绑而受了轻伤。

当天，吴和黄驱车前往吉隆坡，黄将约110万USDT转给了吴，作为他应得的赃款份额。USDT是一种与美元挂钩的加密货币。

Goh 和 Wong 在吉隆坡找到了买家，用他们未指明数量的 USDT 换取了 149 万令吉现金。

他们将现金交给吉隆坡的哈米顿和优素福，作为支付给哈米顿团队的剩余款项，以换取被盗的现金和贵重物品。

哈米顿和优素福给了两位在马来西亚的朋友10万令吉，这两位朋友曾帮助他们协调活动。哈米顿自己留下了44.5万令吉，陶菲克、哈希姆和卡尔蒂克各得10万令吉。优素福留下了64.5万令吉，其中他本应分得24.5万令吉。他声称会替团队保管剩余的钱。

2024 年 4 月至 2024 年 11 月期间，马来西亚皇家警察逮捕了六名马来西亚劫匪。陶菲克在登上飞往哥打基纳巴卢的航班前被捕，而吴在登上飞往日本的飞机前在机场被捕。

被盗的490万新元中，新加坡警方仅追回约169万新元。首席检察官郭迪伦表示，约有321万新元下落不明。

黄和吴还对涉及日本女性从事性工作的其他指控认罪。

郭先生根据六名男子的罪责程度，要求对他们判处不同的刑期，其中黄和吴的罪责最为严重。

检方寻求的刑期从较短的七年零八个月到最长的十三年零一个月不等，外加二十四下鞭刑。

黄先生的代理律师是陈先生，吴先生的代理律师是唐加维鲁先生、陈俊寅女士和苏根雅·马诺加兰女士。詹姆斯·戈麦斯·乔万·梅西亚先生为卡尔蒂克辩护，阿里芬·沙先生代表哈希姆出庭。埃斯特尔·泰女士代表陶菲克出庭，而SS·迪隆先生则代表哈米顿出庭。

戈麦斯先生和阿里芬先生表示，他们的委托人每人只收到了10万令吉的赔偿金；而戴女士则表示，她的委托人对抢劫案的细节几乎一无所知。陈先生则表示，抢劫案中无人受伤。

迪伦先生表示，他的委托人哈米顿将在未来几个月内年满 50 岁，但他并没有为了避免鞭刑而故意拖延案件的审理。

他说，哈米顿拒绝准备抢劫所需的武器，而是准备了胶带和扎带。律师说，抢劫过程中他根本没有携带任何武器。

Sugenya 女士表示，Goh 帮助当局追回了其收到的 110 万 USDT 中的约 80 万 USDT，她称之为一笔可观的追回款项。

徐艾丹法官在宣判时表示，这是一起“胆大妄为、精心策划”的武装团伙抢劫案，“扰乱了社会治安”。他表示，判决必须起到震慑作用，以儆效尤，并严惩涉案人员。

徐法官表示，新加坡总体上是一个安全的国家，这要归功于执法机构和公众的共同努力。

“我们希望自己的家园安全……那些扰乱这种和平与安全的人……必将受到严厉的惩罚，”他说。

黄和吴分别被判处 12 年 11 个月监禁、24 下鞭刑和 4000 新元罚款。

哈米顿被判处 10 年半监禁和 24 下鞭刑，而卡尔蒂克和陶菲克被判处 7 年零 8 个月监禁和 24 下鞭刑。

哈希姆因年龄太大不能被处以鞭刑，被判处八年零八个月监禁。

对于持械团伙抢劫，罪犯可被判处 5 至 20 年监禁，并可处以 24 下鞭刑。

中央社已联系总检察署，询问是否已对非法赌博的受害者采取任何行动。

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