Two men convicted in $3 billion money laundering case deported to Cambodia, banned from entering Singapore

SINGAPORE – Two men convicted in Singapore’s biggest money laundering case were deported to Cambodia on Monday (May 6).

Su Wenqiang and Wang Baosen, both 32, will no longer be allowed to enter Singapore, a spokesperson for the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on May 6.

They are among 10 foreigners arrested in August 2023 in a money laundering investigation that saw the seizure of more than $3 billion in cash and assets.

ICA had said in April that the “location of deportation (of the convicts) depends on the admissibility of the foreigner on the basis of his or her valid passport”.

Su, a Cambodian national, was sentenced to 13 months in prison on April 2 after pleading guilty to two counts of money laundering.

He admitted to possessing more than $600,000 in cash – benefits from unlawful remote gambling offenses – and to using $500,000 in criminal benefits to buy a Mercedes-Benz car.

A further nine charges were taken into account at his sentencing.

Wang, who obtained Cambodian citizenship in 2020 and also holds passports from China and Vanuatu, was sentenced to 13 months in prison on April 16 after pleading guilty to two counts of money laundering.

In total, he faced eight charges.

He admitted lying to HSBC about the origins of his money and to the Ministry of Manpower about his work in Singapore.

Su was apprehended at a good bungalow on Lewis Road in Bukit Timah in August 2023 as police raided luxury homes in Singapore across the island.

Investigations revealed that Su participated in online gambling activities in 2019 while living in Manila, Philippines. This prompted him to start working for an illegal remote gambling company based in the Philippines that targeted people in China.

Among other things, he supervised the staff who maintained the website that allowed customers to place bets via their mobile phones.

He shared in the profits the syndicate made each month.

In 2021, he moved to Singapore because his wife wanted their two young children to study here. While in Singapore, he continued to work for the gambling industry.

As for Wang, the court heard in April that he had submitted a forged loan agreement to HSBC regarding the $600,000 he deposited into his wife’s bank account in January 2023.

Wang also failed to account for the more than $1.4 million he paid in March 2022 for 10 percent of the purchase price of a luxury condominium in Orchard.

The other three people treated in this case so far are Su Haijin, Su Baolin, and Zhang Ruijin.

Cypriot Su Haijin, 41, who jumped from the second-floor balcony of a quality bungalow during a police raid, was sentenced to 14 months in prison on April 4. He faced 14 charges and forfeited assets worth about $165 million to police. stands.

Cambodian national Su Baolin, 42, was sentenced to 14 months in prison on April 29. He faced 13 charges and forfeited approximately $65 million.

Chinese national Zhang Ruijin, 45, was sentenced to 15 months in prison on April 30. He faced eight charges and forfeited approximately $118 million.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.

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