The Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) have joined forces to combat a transnational illegal gambling syndicate. A total of 41 men and 2 women, aged between 34 and 82, were arrested for involvement in a criminal organization and participating in online illegal gambling activities.
According to the SPF official website, the operation took place in July, involving officers from the Criminal Investigation Department, Police Intelligence Department, Special Operations Command, and Land Divisions.
According to internal reports after the event, the raids were conducted simultaneously in both countries, with Singapore arresting 37 men and 2 women, while the Royal Mounted Police Criminal Investigation Department arrested 4 Singaporean men in Malaysia.
The police seized seven properties valued at approximately SGD 10.7 million (USD 7 million), as well as cash, jewelry, luxury watches, and over 40 bank accounts, totaling about SGD 4 million (USD 2.9 million) for investigation. Other seized items include computers, mobile phones, and gambling-related equipment.
Among the arrested suspects, eight men and one woman will be charged under the Gambling Control Act 2022, while the cases of other suspects are still under further investigation.
Recently, Singapore has lowered the threshold for due diligence deposits from SGD 5,000 to SGD 4,000 to combat money laundering and terrorism financing.
