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On 29 April 2026, 23-year-old Malaysian national Yap Ching Gun (“Yap”), was convicted for his involvement in an investment scam and sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment and one stroke of the cane.

He was convicted of one count of being concerned in an arrangement to facilitate another person's control of benefits from criminal conduct under Section 51(1)(a) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 ("CDSA") in relation to his role of collecting cash from an elderly victim of an investment scam in Singapore.

Yap was recruited via Telegram by an unknown person to collect monies from a victim who had been deceived into handing over cash as part of an investment scam. The victim was led to believe that the funds would be deposited as investment capital into a fictitious investment brokerage company named "Maplerock". The monies collected were subsequently handed over to a male subject unknown to Yap. Yap was responsible for the victim’s losses amounting to at least JPY1,000,000, equivalent to approximately S$8,198. 

Yap’s conviction marks the first instance of caning being imposed on accused persons convicted of money laundering offences related to scam activities under the amended CDSA. This follows the introduction of discretionary caning for scam money mules under the legislative amendments that took effect on 30 December 2025. Under this amended legislative, scammers and members or recruiters of scam syndicates will face mandatory caning of at least six strokes, up to a maximum of 24 strokes. Scam mules who enable scammers by laundering scam proceeds will face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes. This includes certain money-laundering offences under the CDSA. The Police take a serious stance against any person who may be involved in scams and perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law.