10-6-2024 (SINGAPORE) Singaporean authorities have dismantled a criminal network that spanned multiple countries and amassed illicit assets worth millions. The culmination of a years-long investigation, a series of coordinated raids across the island nation in August 2023 led to the arrest of 10 suspects, including the alleged ringleader, a Vanuatu national with Chinese roots.
Su Jianfeng, a 36-year-old originally hailing from China’s Fujian province, had been at the helm of the underground operation, which originated in Malaysia before expanding to the Philippines and ultimately establishing a foothold in Singapore. Driven by a desire to provide his children with educational opportunities, Su had relocated to the city-state, where his criminal enterprise took root.
The investigation, spearheaded by the Commercial Affairs Department of the Singapore Police Force, gained traction in 2021 when authorities received credible information about potential money laundering activities and the use of forged documents to conceal the source of funds in local bank accounts. This intelligence culminated in a series of simultaneous raids across the island on August 15, 2023, resulting in the apprehension of the 10 suspects, including Su.
The extent of the syndicate’s illicit operations became apparent as authorities seized assets linked to Su or held under his wife’s name, amounting to a staggering S$187 million. The seized assets encompassed a wide range of ill-gotten gains, including cash, properties, vehicles, luxury goods, cryptocurrency, and alcohol – one of the highest asset seizures across the 10 offenders implicated in the probe.
In a remarkable display of cooperation, Su agreed to forfeit at least 95 percent of the seized assets to the state, a significant blow to the syndicate’s financial resources.
Given the gravity of the offenses, prosecutors sought substantial prison sentences for the perpetrators, with Su facing the prospect of 17 to 18 months behind bars – the highest sought among the 10 offenders. The defense, however, argued for a more lenient 14.5-month sentence.
Ultimately, the other nine offenders received prison terms ranging from 13 to 16 months, marking the culmination of legal proceedings in which all defendants entered guilty pleas, despite initially hinting at the possibility of trials.
In the aftermath of the crackdown, those who have completed their jail terms, factoring in time served and remissions for good behavior, have been deported to various countries, effectively dismantling the syndicate’s operations within Singapore’s borders.
