Indonesian arrested in Singapore over fake banknotes was victim of fraud: lawyer

Johor Baru: Malaysian authorities transferred a 27-year-old man to Singapore law enforcement yesterday, accusing him of orchestrating a cross-border scam ring. The suspect, known as Da Xiang, is alleged to have led a syndicate involved in impersonating government officials and laundering money in Singapore. He is said to have enlisted Malaysian runners to retrieve cash and gold from victims in Singapore.

Da Xiang was apprehended in Kuala Lumpur on a joint operation with Singapore Police Force (SPF) based on a warrant issued by Singapore authorities. The SPF reported that Da Xiang recruited and coordinated at least four Malaysians who traveled to Singapore to execute assignments for the syndicate. The runners allegedly met with Da Xiang multiple times in Malaysia, assigning tasks, supervising ATM withdrawals, and distributing earnings.

They also reportedly transported gold seized from scam victims back to Johor Baru, where it was handed over to him. Investigators believe Da Xiang was linked to laundering at least S$500,000 (approximately RM1.56 million) in scam and illicit proceeds. He is set to face charges in Singapore today for criminal conspiracy to assist another person in retaining benefits from criminal activities under Section 51 of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992, in conjunction with Section 120B of the Penal Code 1871.

The offense carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to S$500,000, or both. Singapore police noted that the increasing trend of Malaysians traveling to Singapore to assist scam syndicates in collecting cash and valuables from victims is a growing concern. SPF Cyber Command commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Justin Wong emphasized the significance of cross-border cooperation between Malaysian and Singaporean authorities in apprehending the alleged mastermind.