24 individuals were arrested at the Marina Bay Sands casino for allegedly providing illegal currency exchange, remittance, and chip trading services. 13 of them were charged in court on Sunday (September 8).
The Singapore Police Force announced on Friday (September 6) that a joint enforcement operation was conducted over two days starting from Thursday (September 5), with the assistance of the Central Police Division, the Criminal Investigation Department, the Commercial Affairs Department, and the personnel of Marina Bay Sands.
Preliminary investigations revealed that 17 men and seven women were suspected of providing unlicensed services within the casino, including foreign currency exchange, remittances, and selling chips to gamblers. They are between the ages of 27 and 58, with 14 eventually arrested to assist with further investigations.
The police stated that 13 of them would be charged in court on Saturday. During the joint operation, chips, cash, and electronic devices worth over SGD 190,000 were seized.
Under the Payment Services Act, anyone found guilty of providing unlicensed payment services could face a fine of up to SGD 125,000, imprisonment for up to three years, or both. According to the Casino Control Act, anyone using chips within the casino for purposes other than gambling or tipping, if convicted, could face a fine of up to SGD 10,000, imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Wong Wen Sheng, Director of the Central Police Division, thanked all agencies involved in the enforcement and emphasized the police's zero-tolerance approach towards illegal activities, stating that strict actions will be taken.
