Malaysian kingpin running Singapore scam operations arrested

The alleged mastermind of a syndicate coordinating government official impersonation scam and money laundering operations in Singapore has been arrested.

Nicknamed "Da Xiang" (big elephant), the 27-year-old Malaysian man was arrested by the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) on Tuesday (Sept 22) and handed over to the Singapore Police Force (SPF) on the same day.

SPF said in a news release on Tuesday night that the RMP's arrest was made pursuant to a Warrant of Arrest issued by Singapore authorities.

According to the police, "Da Xiang" was allegedly responsible for recruiting and coordinating Malaysians to conduct scam and money laundering operations in Singapore.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the Malaysian man had physically met with at least four Malaysian runners on multiple occasions in Malaysia.

There, he assigned tasks, co-ordinated ATM withdrawals, and disbursed their earnings from these jobs, police said.

Investigations also found that the runners, under the 27-year-old's instructions, brought gold items collected from scam victims during their assignments back to Johor Bahru and physically handed them over to him.

He is believed to be responsible for laundering at least $500,000 in scam and illicit proceeds, police added.

"Da Xiang" will be charged in court on Wednesday with the offence of criminal conspiracy to assist another to retain benefits from criminal conduct.

The offence carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.

Rising trend of Malaysians involved in scams here

According to the police, there continues to be an increasing trend of Malaysian nationals travelling to Singapore to assist scam syndicates in collecting cash and valuables from scam victims.

The police expressed their appreciation to their Malaysian counterparts for their cooperation and assistance in facilitating the arrest.

"Scam syndicates know no borders. It is only through close and sustained cooperation with our international partners that we can effectively dismantle these criminal networks," said Commander of Cyber Command, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SAC) Justin Wong.

SAC Wong also noted the "invaluable" role of the RMP in apprehending the Malaysian mastermind.

Members of the public are reminded that Singapore Government officials will never ask for money, cash, jewellery, or other valuables to be transferred or handed over as part of investigations.

They will also not ask for banking login details, or transfer calls to the police.

Those who require assistance may call the 24/7 ScamShield helpline at 1799.

据称，新加坡一个组织冒充政府官员进行诈骗和洗钱活动的犯罪集团的主谋已被逮捕。

这名绰号“大象”的27岁马来西亚男子于周二（9月22日）被马来西亚皇家警察逮捕，并于当日移交给新加坡警察部队。

新加坡警察部队周二晚间在一份新闻稿中表示，皇家骑警的逮捕是根据新加坡当局签发的逮捕令进行的。

据警方称，“大翔”涉嫌负责招募和协调马来西亚人在新加坡进行诈骗和洗钱活动。

初步调查显示，这名马来西亚男子曾在马来西亚多次与至少四名马来西亚跑步运动员进行过线下会面。

警方称，他在那里分配任务、协调自动取款机取款，并分发他们从这些工作中获得的收入。

调查还发现，这些跑腿人员在27岁男子的指示下，将从诈骗受害者那里收集的金饰带回新山，并亲自交给他。

警方补充说，据信他至少洗钱50万美元，这些钱来自诈骗和非法所得。

“大翔”将于周三在法庭上被控犯有刑事共谋罪，即协助他人从犯罪行为中获利。

该罪行最高可判处 10 年监禁，或罚款 50 万美元，或两者并罚。

马来西亚人卷入诈骗案的趋势日益上升

据警方称，越来越多的马来西亚公民前往新加坡，协助诈骗团伙从诈骗受害者手中骗取现金和贵重物品。

警方对马来西亚同行在逮捕行动中提供的合作和协助表示感谢。

“诈骗集团不分国界。只有通过与国际伙伴密切而持续的合作，我们才能有效瓦解这些犯罪网络。”网络司令部司令、高级助理警务处长黄志强表示。

警司黄也指出，马来西亚皇家警察在抓捕马来西亚主谋方面发挥了“不可估量”的作用。

提醒公众，新加坡政府官员绝不会要求在调查过程中转移或交出金钱、现金、珠宝或其他贵重物品。

他们也不会索要银行登录信息，也不会将电话转接给警方。

需要帮助的人可以拨打 24/7 ScamShield 热线 1799。