Indonesian Arrested in Singapore over Counterfeit Cash

An Indonesian businessman, Steven, was arrested by Singaporean authorities for allegedly possessing counterfeit currency at Resorts World Sentosa casino. Steven's lawyer, Dosma Sijabat, stated that the fake bills did not belong to his client, who was only asked to exchange 34 SG$10,000 banknotes at a commission. The encounter stemmed from Steven's prior employment history in Singapore and an offer from three individuals, HJ, EAK, and AN, who promised to take responsibility for any forged notes.

Steven exchanged a single bill on June 9, 2026, and 27 more on June 11, 2026, before returning to Indonesia. Upon his return to Jakarta, AN questioned the transaction's status, to which Steven offered to accompany him if he had doubts. After Steven returned to Singapore to exchange the remaining six bills, casino security identified them as counterfeit.

Steven has since reported his associates to the Jakarta Metro Police for alleged violations of the Criminal Code, and the case has been transferred to the South Tangerang Police Precinct. South Tangerang police have filed an official report, and investigators are still awaiting confirmation from Singapore police that the notes are indeed counterfeit.