Crime
Mastermind of illegal online gambling empire resided on Rochalie Drive, the same street as PM Lee
Wang Bingang, known for his illegal gambling empire, reportedly remains at large following Singapore’s 15 August Islandwide anti-money laundering crackdown.
He was residing in a lavish rented bungalow on Rochalie Drive in Tanglin during the operation, which intriguingly happens to be in the same neighborhood as Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
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SINGAPORE: On Monday (25 Sep), The Straits Times, Singapore’s state media, reported that Wang Bingang (王斌刚), a man who amassed millions by offering illegal online gambling services to Chinese players, is one of several individuals who remains at large after Singapore’s anti-money laundering crackdown on August 15th.
His illicit gambling enterprise, known as Hongli International, boldly thrived for years, attracting the scrutiny of authorities in both China and internationally.
Wang reportedly resided in a luxurious bungalow on Rochalie Drive in Tanglin
At the time of the Singapore police operation, Wang Bingang, now 34, was residing in a luxurious rented bungalow on Rochalie Drive in Tanglin, believed to be shared with Wang Liyun, his supposed wife.
Despite the apprehension of ten foreigners associated with his operation, Wang Bingang’s family and domestic helper reportedly still occupy the residence.
When the ST reporters visited the bungalow last Thursday, they found the metal gate of the two-storey house wide open, revealing two Toyota Alphards and a Rolls-Royce parked in the front yard.
The domestic helper claimed that the couple was in Singapore but not at home during the arrests. However, others have stated that the pair, who used to host parties at the house roughly once a month, have not been seen for approximately a month.
Wang Bingang is a Chinese national but has Cambodian citizenship. His rise to notoriety began in 2012 when he was just 23 years old.
Originating from Anxi, Fujian, he quickly became a millionaire by running the Hongli International (“鸿利国际”) gambling site, based in the Philippines and Cambodia.
Interestingly, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also resides on Rochalie Drive, the same street where Wang, the alleged figurehead of the S$2.4 billion case syndicate, was reported to be staying.
The duration of Wang Bingang’s stay in Singapore remains uncertain.
According to Chinese media reports, Wang Bingang was sentenced by a Chinese court to three years in prison and fined 3 million yuan. His sentence was concluded on February 15, 2018.
Questions arise regarding the timeline of Wang Bingang and his family’s relocation to Singapore
It was revealed that in 2022, Wang Bingang joined the prestigious Sentosa Golf Club, a club where foreign membership costs around S$950,000.
However, a notice dated September 12 displayed at the club indicated that he, along with five others implicated in the Singapore investigation, was placed on a defaulters’ list, suggesting unsettled financial obligations.
While Wang Bingang’s name does not appear in business records, his wife, Wang Liyun has interests in various businesses, including a bridal shop.
Both individuals found their names on a list of 34 provided by the Ministry of Law on August 27 to dealers in precious metals and stones, with the intention of flagging suspicious transactions potentially involving money laundering.
Considering that Wang completed his Chinese jail term as late as February 2018 and joined Sentosa Golf Club in 2022, it raises the question of when he and his family actually relocated to Singapore, potentially sometime between 2018 and 2022.
Moreover, the conspicuous wealth associated with Wang Bingang has left many perplexed, especially in the context of his extravagant bungalow on Rochalie Drive, a neighbourhood where properties are known to command prices exceeding S$10 million.
Furthermore, there arises a pressing question regarding whether Wang Bingang continues to operate his illegal gambling network despite having served a prison term in China.
According to the Straits Times, Hongli International appears to remain active, even in the face of a crackdown that occurred eight years ago.
Mr Jason Tower, country director for the Myanmar programme at United States Institute of Peace (USIP), emphasized that Hongli has long been a prominent name in the illegal gambling industry.
He noted that Hongli still maintains active online gambling platforms accessible through social media links.
“You can find many online gambling links that go back to Hongli… they come and go, they seem to be taken down or the websites become defunct very quickly, but a new one will always emerge,” said Mr Tower.
A cursory check on X (formerly Twitter) revealed that similar site names continue to surface in posts from 2016 to 2022.
These posts reference various website addresses associated with gambling sites bearing different names, raising concerns about the enduring presence of Wang Bingang’s illicit activities.
Public skepticism on China’s role in Singapore’s S$2.4 billion money laundering case crackdown
Singapore’s role as a major financial hub often places it under scrutiny regarding the movement of vast sums of money, both legitimate and questionable.
The startling island-wide arrests of ten foreign nationals, connected to a staggering S$2,4 billion money laundering case on 15 August, have indisputably jolted the city-state.
At the crux of the debate is timing. The Minister of Home Affairs and Law, K Shanmugam, clarified in an interview with the Chinese newspaper, Lianhe Zaobao, that the investigation and subsequent arrests weren’t influenced by external events, particularly China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit on 10 August.
Mr Shanmugam noted that the investigation had spanned several months. The police had diligently traced illicit activities within Singapore and abroad, identified the culprits, and scrutinized the fund flows.
Yet, the events appear somewhat coincidental, leading the public to speculate.
For example, all the accused originate from Fujian, China. This shared origin, combined with other specifics, paints a compelling picture.
Consider Vang Shui Ming, a 42-year-old Turkish national from Fujian. Singaporean authorities seized assets from him, including an astonishing S$962,000 in cash from his home.
Chinese authorities had reportedly sought Vang and his brother, Wang Shuiting for his involvement in a group developing and maintaining profit-oriented gambling platforms.
Su Haijin, with S$4.06 million in a UOB account, is alleged by the prosecution to have funds stemming from illegal remote gambling offenses.
The pressing question remains: Did China share this information with Singapore? If so, when?
A Twitter post by Vanessa Gao on 16 August claimed that Singapore’s Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) had covertly established a task force about three months prior.
新加坡商业事务局CAD 于08月15日早晨7点开始进行统一收网抓捕行动,出动几百名警力抓捕30左右涉案人员(涉案人员总数为60人左右),涉嫌罪名洗黑钱,目前人员已经全部拘押(涉案人存在多位是中国网逃人员),目前涉案人员家中所有存在价值的东西也都全部扣押!…
— VanessaCao 🐲 (@vc_btxcap) August 16, 2023
This team was said to have focused on the dealings of these Fujian-origin foreign nationals, tracing covert transactions via Citibank linked to gambling and narcotics.
It’s still a matter of debate as to whether Singapore’s authorities had been surveilling these individuals even before this period, given how the ten arrested had managed to move over S$2.4 billion of assets more than a year before investigations were supposedly initiated.
Linking these elements with Gao’s enigmatic tweet about an impending visit from a team of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security on 21 August, it crafts a story hard for the typical Singaporean to dismiss.
Although Mr Shanmugam refutes foreign meddling in the apprehensions, given the timeline of occurrences and the undeniable connections to China, it’s evident why some Singaporeans sense a deeper narrative.
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I am reminded of the song from My Fair Lady, which goes “I have often walked down this street before and the pavement always stood beneath my feet before. All at once am I, several stories high, knowing I’m on the Street where you live.” LHL and HC getting a high on knowing their neighbour is a criminal.
Again, the main influx of FDI into SG is from places like Virgins Islands and Cayman Islands – not USA, China, Europe, MNCs. How much money laundering are done thru SG with Shanmi/SPF/MTI/PMO turning a blind eye?
I believe all these high profile cases are tip offs by rival syndicates. Our SPF isnt that efficient in cracking down online crimes, They just take credit for it, I know first hand.
Hello, created huge number of work load for the entire Home Team and the Minister is waiting for his glory to be acknowledged he kept SG squeaky clean and crime free.
So…are they both birds of the same feather??? Are they both white cats or black cats, Deng xiao peng asked?
Loong’s security failed.
CPIB failed.
SLA failed.
Home team hung drug carriers – huge success in saving lives. OMG.
What kind of Singapore is this.
Singapore in such a conundrum should seriously consider,
Heng Swee Keat as the next PM.
He was the principal secretary of LKY,
I am sure he has learnt the mettle & values of LKY.
He was also Finance Minister & A Police High Commissioner.
We Singaporeans should seriously decide on our Future.
You’d think the police would check on anyone moving to the same street as the PM.
Right on one’s doorstep and under one’s nose, … at the velly same time, and still, not triggering any radar/reaction from the SuperIntelligence community, plus, … hitting all the high life, bright lights and iconic status sites of SillyPore !!! And, the tenant minister from RidOut expects the nation and the world, … to believe and accept that covert operations been ongoing for months prior to arrests/showdown !!! If true, … how did they lose sight and track of KingPinWang ?!!! Tenant from RidOut thinks he’s talking to a bunch of idiots and morons !!!, … and expect his “company”… Read more »
I thought being rich means being respected people. I thought being rich means not criminals
What an amazingly talented man! 👏👏👏
New strategy…let the money launderers come in with their billions. After a few years arrest and confiscate them. Now…we can waive any increases in bus and train fares.
Remember a pappie MP/minister defended our PM/ministers paying themselves million$ salary because they can then approach HNWIs, rub shoulders, talk
money launderingbusiness, sing songs, etc.Sentosa Golf Club members must be checked, if such people can so easily be allowed in.
Got Gurkha Guards or not, if got sure can confirm got connection.
Maybe the rental property belongs to The Lee’s. need to check with SLA to confirm.
Wang Yi’s visit was probably to ask permission to arrest. Knowing SG police balls-Less-Ness from The Indonesian arrest at Takashimaya & Tuas Incident.
If they can party with NR, why not these criminals? There is no distinction for criminals. All are the same. It could be the LAW OF ATTRACTION at work.
This is PM Lee which number Properties beside the Nassim?
Now I must go Google map that place … erm which one is PM Lee High Tower???
Aiyo PM Lee living at Rochalie Drive. I oso dunno leh. Number what arh?!?
I am sure he was vetted by the police if he was allowed to live near the PM. Or maybe he is good friends with the PM like NR. The families of criminals are given protection in Singapore by the govt. Visas are also provided for this elite group. There is no other way to explain his presence in Singapore because he had a criminal record in China. Can anyone else explain his entry into Singapore?
Neighbour with ah gua that’s why unlucky.
Haha….
Wang Yi’s visit to SG is also months in the planning with agendas usually laid out way way before he come to SG right?
It’s not like today Wang Yi said he come, tomorrow he reach SG. Think!
Guess the wise saying is true, the most place that even they could not imagine would be their HQ ,would be the HQ that such mastermind operate from.
In any case ,they are both the same…cos they both love…..MONEY!😆😆😆😆🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
鄰居 ,應該互相照顧 互相幫忙