Singapore police arrested 10 foreign nationals on Aug 15, 2023 in an islandwide anti-money laundering operation that involved more than 400 officers, and seized, froze or issued prohibition of disposal orders for about $1 billion in assets1. The 10, nine men and one woman aged 31 to 44, were charged on Aug 16 with offenses including forgery and money laundering1. Another 12 people are assisting investigations and eight are on the run and on a wanted list1.
Several of those arrested are alleged to be linked to individuals investigated in China over illegal gambling operations1. Vang Shuiming, also known as Wang Shuiming, a 42-year-old Turkish national facing a forgery charge, is described as a known associate of eight people on the run from Chinese authorities, who uncovered an illegal gambling syndicate in May 20221. A second person arrested, Wang Baosen, 31, is alleged to be linked to Wang Bingang, 34, and Wang Cailin, 36, who Chinese media reported launched a gambling website offering blackjack, baccarat and sports and e-sports betting, moved operations to Bavet in Cambodia in 2014, and were jailed for three years by a Chinese district court in 20151. Three other suspects facing money laundering charges, Wang Dehai, Su Jianfeng and Su Wenqiang, are alleged to be linked to a separate gambling group in China1.
The assets covered by the orders include 105 properties as well as cars, cash and luxury goods1. At a later hearing, prosecutors said the case involved more than $1 billion in assets including properties, cars, and luxury watches and handbags, and that the 105 properties were worth $831 million2. By late September 2023, assets seized and frozen in the case had grown to $2.4 billion3.
At an Aug 30 court appearance, nine of the 10 accused received additional charges, several of them tied to alleged gambling proceeds4. The court denied bail after prosecutors raised concerns about collusion and third-party interference2.
| Accused | Assets cited | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Chen Qingyuan | More than $20 million seized | White Land Rover, Range Rover, more than $6 million in Citibank Singapore accounts, 170,284.9808 in Tether cryptocurrency4 |
| Su Wenqiang | At least $2.6 million in Singapore | Mercedes-Benz AMG C63S bought around Jan 28, 2022 for $500,000, allegedly proceeds of an illegal remote gambling service based in the Philippines for users in China4 |
| Su Baolin | Properties worth more than $130 million seized from him and his wife | Second forgery charge over a "Borrowing Agreement" submitted to Standard Chartered Bank around December 20204 |
| Lin Baoying | About $200 million seized | Second forgery charge and a charge of perverting the course of justice2 |
| Wang Dehai | At least $43 million in Singapore | Condominium unit at The Marq bought for $23 million in November 20194 |
| Su Jianfeng | More than $160 million seized | $17 million found in three safe deposit boxes4 |
"The police here have seized, frozen or issued prohibition of disposal orders for about $1 billion in assets in relation to the case, including 105 properties as well as cars, cash and luxury goods."
What it means for players
The case concerns alleged money laundering and illegal remote gambling operations, not licensed gambling in Singapore. Singapore's legal gambling venues, including the two casinos, are regulated separately and are not named in the charges. The arrests and asset seizures do not change what is legal to play in Singapore, which is set out in our guide to gambling in Singapore. The charges describe offshore online operations aimed at players in China, where online gambling is illegal1. For anyone gambling in the region, the case is a reminder that the money behind some offshore betting sites has been the subject of criminal investigations in China and Singapore. Our overview of gambling laws across Asia sets out where online betting is legal and where it is not, and the China guide covers the prohibition there. The Philippines, where one charged transaction is alleged to have originated, is covered in our Philippines guide, and Cambodia, where one group moved its operations in 2014, in our Cambodia guide.
What happens next
The accused remained in remand after the Aug 30 hearings, with several cases adjourned to September 20232. Eight people connected to the case are on a wanted list1. Chinese police urged nine members of the Heng Bo Bao Wang group to return to China, saying those who did so voluntarily before Oct 10, 2023 may be granted leniency3.
Sources4 sources
- Suspects in billion-dollar money laundering case in S’pore allegedly linked to China gambling groups | The Straits Times, straitstimes.com
- More charges in billion-dollar money laundering case; $400m in assets seized from 2 suspects alone | The Straits Times, straitstimes.com
- Founder of Chinese gambling website linked to S’pore’s $2b money laundering case | The Straits Times, straitstimes.com
- Cars, crypto, cash derived from illegal online gambling: 9 in S$1b money laundering case get fresh charges - CNA, channelnewsasia.com
