Two convicted in S$3B money laundering case deported to Cambodia

SINGAPORE: Two men, Su Wenqiang and Wang Baosen, aged 32, were deported to Cambodia on Monday (6 May) following their conviction in Singapore’s largest money laundering case.

According to Singapore state media CNA, an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) spokesperson confirmed that both men, who were sentenced to 13 months in jail in April, are barred from re-entering Singapore.

While ICA did not specify the reason for their deportation to Cambodia, it was previously noted that the deportation location depends on the foreigner's admissibility based on their valid passport.

ICA also did not explain why the two men were deported weeks after their sentencing.

Su Wenqiang, aged 33, is identified as Cambodian in official records, but his passport reveals his origin as Fujian, China.

He was the first suspect to plead guilty in the case and was sentenced on 2 April.

He confessed to a total of 11 charges, including offences such as money laundering, possession of proceeds from illegal remote gambling, and providing false information to obtain work passes for himself and his wife.

Authorities seized over S$5.9 million in assets from him, including cash, vehicles, luxury items, and liquor.

Wang, a Chinese national, received his sentence on April 16th, after admitting to possessing almost S$600,000 in illegal proceeds in his wife's bank account and laundering another S$1.48 million for purchasing a luxury Park Nova apartment.

Assets totalling more than S$8 million, including cash, vehicles, property, and collectables, were seized from him and his wife.

Both Su and Wang were among the 10 Fujian-origin individuals apprehended in an islandwide police operation in August 2023, following approximately two years of investigative efforts prompted by tipoffs regarding potential illicit activities involving a group of foreign nationals.

In addition to Su and Wang, three other defendants in the case — Su Haijin, Su Baolin, and Zhang Ruijin — also received sentences ranging from 13 to 15 months.

Some convicted individuals had their jail terms backdated to their arrest date in August of last year.

Separately, Vang Shuiming (王水明),  also implicated in the S$3 billion money laundering case, is scheduled to enter his guilty pleas on 15 May.

The landmark case has reverberated across the city-state as authorities seized a vast array of assets, including 152 properties and 62 vehicles, collectively estimated at over S$3 billion.

The accused individuals had amassed substantial wealth, not only investing in existing companies but also founding their ventures, fostering diverse networks within the country.

Furthermore, these individuals were involved in local charitable activities and led lavish lifestyles, contributing donations to causes like the President’s Challenge and ComChest.

It was revealed that some of the accused in the S$3 billion money laundering case, 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.

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