Landing page banner

The Specialised Crime Branch from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested a 40-year-old Singaporean man, following his deportation from Thailand. He had absconded from Singapore whilst on court bail and is believed to be involved in operating vice syndicates.

The man was one of 17 persons arrested on 21 October 2024 for vice-related and illegal drug activities during island-wide operations. He was previously charged in court for offences under the Women’s Charter 1961. He was released on court bail and his passport was impounded as a condition of bail. However, the man failed to attend a court mention on 12 December 2024 and an arrest warrant was issued against him. Investigations established that he had absconded from Singapore through illegal means of departure. 

Through CID’s investigations and collaboration with the Royal Thai Police (RTP), the man was located in the Chonburi province in Thailand. He was arrested by the RTP in Thailand’s Prachuap Khiri Khan province during a transnational operation conducted jointly by Singapore and Thailand on 24 February 2026. Investigations revealed that he was suspected to have continued his involvement in operating vice activities in Singapore, from Thailand. On the same day, three women, aged between 25 and 38, were arrested in the vicinity of River Valley Road and Geylang Lorong 32, for their suspected involvement in vice-related offences. Investigations against the subjects are ongoing.  
 
The Immigration Bureau of the RTP assisted CID in the deportation of the man, and he was arrested upon his arrival in Singapore on 17 March 2026. He will be charged in court on 18 March 2026 for additional offences under the Women’s Charter 1961 and Criminal Procedure Code 2010. 

Under the Women’s Charter 1961,

• Any person who knowingly lives wholly or in part on the earnings of the prostitution of another person shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years and shall also be liable to a fine not exceeding S$100,000.
  
  
• A person in or outside Singapore who, in the course of business, uses a remote communication service with a Singapore link that offers or facilitates the provision by a woman or girl to another person of sexual services in Singapore in return for payment or reward shall be liable to a fine not exceeding $100,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both.
  
  
• Any person who keeps, manages or assists in the management of a place of assignation shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $100,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both. 
  
  
• Any person who keeps, manages or assists in the management of a brothel shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $100,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both.

Under the Immigration Act 1959, offenders found guilty of illegal departure shall be liable to a fine of up to $2,000, a jail term of up to six months, or both. The Criminal Procedure Code 2010 states that anyone who absconds or breaks conditions of bail shall be liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both. 

Director CID (covering), Senior Assistant Commissioner (SAC) Yeo Yee Chuan expressed his appreciation to all RTP officers involved for their professionalism and excellent teamwork during the operations. He said, “The SPF will continue to work closely with our foreign law enforcement partners to combat transnational crimes and will spare no effort to bring criminals to justice, including those operating beyond our borders. Transnational anti-vice operations are part of the SPF’s ongoing efforts to keep Singapore safe and secure. Vice syndicates have leveraged technology to facilitate their operations and extended their reach across national borders. Their modus operandi has become increasingly sophisticated, and they operate their activities remotely, often from overseas. The SPF will spare no effort to clamp down on and take tough enforcement actions against vice syndicates.”