fbpx
Foreign

Singapore police seize cash, cars and homes in $735m anti-money laundering raids

Singapore police have seized about S$1bn ($735m; £578m) – including luxury homes, cars and watches – in one of its biggest anti-money laundering probes.

Gold bars, designer handbags, wine and S$23m in cash were among the items seized in the raids.

Police arrested ten people in the operation, all of whom held foreign passports.

Raids of this size are rare in Singapore, which has one of the lowest crime rates in the world.

The Singapore Police Force said in a statement that simultaneous raids were held across the city-state on Tuesday.

It added that 94 homes, including houses in some of the country’s most sought after areas, were seized, along with 50 vehicles.

Cash seized by Singapore police.
IPolice said the cash seized was in Singapore bank notes and other currencies

Ten people, aged between 31 and 44, were arrested for alleged money laundering and forgery offences. Police said that those arrested had passports from China, Cambodia, Turkey and Vanuatu.

The group was “suspected to be involved in laundering the proceeds of crime from their overseas organised crime activities including scams and online gambling,” according to the police.

Branded bags seized by the Singapore Police Force.
More than 250 luxury handbags and watches were seized in the operation

“We have zero tolerance for the use of Singapore as a safe haven for criminals,” said David Chew, director of the police’s Commercial Affairs Department, which investigates white-collar crime.

“Our message to these criminals is simple – if we catch you, we will arrest you. If we find your ill-gotten gains, we will seize them. We will deal with you to the fullest extent of our laws,” he added.

Police said another 12 people were assisting with investigations, while eight others are currently on its wanted list

Back to top button

Discover more from Dateline Nigeria

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading