Singapore authorities scrutinizing assets and family ties of foreign suspects in S$1.8 billion case

SINGAPORE: As Singaporean authorities delve deeper into the high-profile S$1.8 billion money laundering case, they are investigating individuals connected to the ten accused of Fujian origin.

This investigation includes scrutinizing their ties to the assets they own and the businesses they are associated with.

On 27 August, the Ministry of Law issued a notice to dealers of precious metals and stones, urging them to review their records for potential suspicious transactions involving the names of 34 individuals, including the 10 who were arrested.

The ten individuals, including nine men and one woman aged between 31 and 44, were apprehended during an islandwide raid on 15 August conducted by over 400 officers led by the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD).

These individuals possess diverse nationalities but share a common Fujian origin.

During a recent court hearing, the prosecution disclosed that the suspects include wives and relatives of the 10 accused.

The prosecutor also revealed that some of the accused are wanted by Chinese authorities for their involvement in various unlawful activities, such as illegal gambling or fraud.

A comparison with Chinese media reports suggests that some of these suspects have been sought by Chinese authorities for their alleged involvement in criminal activities dating as far back as 2015.

Notably, among these suspects, some hold memberships at the prestigious Sentosa Golf Club or occupy key roles as shareholders or directors in Singapore-based companies.

Some suspects wanted by Chinese authorities since 2015

In 2015,  the Guiyang County Public Security Bureau discovered that Wang Dehai, Su Jianfeng, Su Wenqiang, Wang Huoqiang, and Su Yongcan were suspects of a major crime, and they were fugitives at that time.

In a noteworthy connection to the current S$1.8 billion case in Singapore, Wang Dehai (王德海), Su Jianfeng (苏剑锋), and Su Wenqiang (苏文强) are among the ten individuals arrested and charged.

Su Yongcan (苏永灿)

Su Yongcan (苏永灿), aged 33, has garnered attention in the ongoing investigation.

According to information reported by the Straits Times, Su Yongcan is a shareholder of Craft Digital, a company based in Singapore’s Millenia Tower.

What adds intrigue to this situation is that Su Yongcan’s registered address is South Beach Residences, which happens to be in the same condominium complex as Wu Shuiying, an individual associated with the 10 accused in the case.

Further connections emerge as it’s revealed that Su Yongcan is a member of the Sentosa Golf Club.

Interestingly, several others within the alleged network, including Su Haijin and Su Baolin, are also members of this club. Su Haijin and Su Baolin were arrested on 15 August raid as part of the investigation.

Chinese authorities have been seeking Su Yongcan due to his involvement in a gambling syndicate uncovered back in 2015.

It’s worth noting that, according to information from the Singapore Eye, his hometown is also Anxi County, Fujian, and he retains a distinct Fujian accent.

Intriguingly, there’s a pattern emerging where some of those arrested and currently under investigation by Singaporean police, such as Chen Qingyuan (陈清远), also hails from Anxi, further deepening the connections within this complex web of individuals.

Another individual, Wang Huoqiang (王火强), has emerged as another suspect connected to the group of 10 accused individuals.

Like Su Yongcan, he is also wanted by Guiyang police due to his involvement in a gambling syndicate exposed in 2015.

Wang Shuiting (王水挺)

Wang Shuiting’s brother is Vang Shuiming, also known as Wang Shuiming (王水明), another one of the 10 accused.

Wang Shuiting, who is also a member of the Sentosa Golf Club, is wanted by the Chinese authorities for his involvement in the Heng Bo Bao Wang (恒博包网) gambling syndicate, which was uncovered in May 2022.

His brother, Shuiming, is also wanted in China, allegedly for the same reason.

Chinese authorities issued notice to Wang’s Brother on the same day as Singapore’s islandwide raid

Interestingly, On 15 August, the same day the Singapore authorities conducted the islandwide raid, the Boshan Sub-bureau of the Zibo Municipal Public Security Bureau issued a notice urging Wang Shuiming and 9 other individuals to return to the country and surrender themselves.

The Chinese enforcement said they successfully dismantled the Hengbo Online Gambling Group, which was engaged in the development and maintenance of gambling websites, applications, and online gambling platforms for profit.

Wang Ruiyan, wife of Vang Shuiming

Wang Ruiyan, who is married to Vang Shuiming, has also been identified as a suspect in the case. She shares the same registered address, 7B Bishopsgate, where her husband was arrested on 15 August.

Wang Ruiyan holds director positions in two Singaporean companies, Ming Huang Investments and Ming Huang Management.

Police investigations have previously disclosed that Vang, a 42-year-old Turkish national originally from Fujian, China, had over S$200 million in assets confiscated by authorities, which included a staggering S$962,000 in cash discovered at his residence.

The prosecutor further revealed in the High Court that Vang had acquired a total of 11 properties.

The prosecutor unveiled evidence suggesting a close association between Vang and two co-accused individuals: Su Haijin, a Cypriot national, and Su Baolin, a Cambodian national.

Wu Qin (伍琴)