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The Police have arrested seven men and two women, aged between 17 and 55, for their suspected involvement in creating shell companies and corporate bank accounts, and relinquishing control of these entities to a syndicate operating an illegal online gambling platform known as ‘GemBet’, following a gambling suppression operation conducted between 22 and 24 July 2026.

During the three-day operation, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Woodlands Police Division and Tanglin Police Division conducted a series of raids at multiple locations island-wide, including Upper Jurong Road, Jurong West, Punggol, Geylang, Lengkok Bahru and Toa Payoh. 

Six persons were arrested for their suspected roles in setting up business entities and corporate bank accounts which were believed to have been used by the syndicate to facilitate monetary transactions linked to illegal online gambling activities. Three other persons acting as runners were arrested for assisting the syndicate in obtaining these business entities and corporate bank accounts. During the operation, the Police identified nine corporate bank accounts linked to six shell companies and froze over $39,000 in suspected criminal proceeds. 

Preliminary investigations revealed that the six persons were believed to have used their SingPass credentials to register new business entities with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority and to open corporate bank accounts linked to these entities, before relinquishing control of the entities, corporate bank accounts and banking credentials to the runners.

Investigations are ongoing against the nine persons for offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1993, Penal Code 1871, Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992, Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act 1906, Companies Act 1967, and the Gambling Control Act 2022.

The key offences and corresponding penalties include:

1. Under Section 3(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993, any person who knowingly causes a computer to perform any function for the purpose of securing access without authority to any program or data held in any computer shall be liable on conviction to a fine of up to$5,000, an imprisonment term  of up totwo years, or both, for first-time offenders.
   
   
2. Under Section 8A of the Computer Misuse Act 1993, any person who discloses any password or access code of the user in relation to the national digital identity service, or provides any other means of securing access in the identity of the user to any program or data held in any computer by way of the national digital identity service, shall be liable on conviction to a fine of up to $10,000,  an imprisonment term of up to three years, or both.
   
   
3. Under Section 417 of the Penal Code 1871, any person who cheats shall be liable on conviction to an imprisonment term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
   
   
4. Under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992, the offence of money laundering carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.  
   
   
5. Under Section 39B(2)(a) of the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act 1906, the offence of knowingly providing a fraudulently registered SIM card to another person to facilitate a crime for any gain carries a fine of up to $10,000, an imprisonment term  of up to three years, or both.
   
   
6. Under Section 157(3)(b), of the Companies Act 1967, the offence of failing to exercise due diligence in the discharge of duties as a director carries a fine of up to $5,000 or an imprisonment term of up to 12 months.
   
   
7. Under Section 20(3) of the Gambling Control Act 2022, any person who gambles with an unlawful gambling service provider shall be liable on conviction to a fine of up to $10,000, or an imprisonment term of up to six months, or to both.

The Police take a serious view of persons who sell or relinquish control of their personal or corporate bank accounts, business entities, SingPass credentials or other access credentials for use in criminal activities. These acts may facilitate illegal gambling, scams, money laundering and other criminal activities, and offenders will be dealt with sternly in accordance with the law.

Members of the public are reminded not to misuse their personal or corporate bank accounts. Account holders should always retain control of their accounts and immediately report any suspicious requests to use their credentials or bank accounts. Individuals will be held accountable if they allow others to use their accounts for illicit purposes.

Broader Police Actions Against Illegal Online Gambling and Account Misuse

Between 1 May and 20 July 2026, the Police intensified gambling suppression efforts to address the elevated risk of illegal betting in the period leading up to, and during the World Cup 2026 season. A total of 60 persons were arrested or investigated, comprising 46 men and 14 women, aged between 17 and 79. 

In the same period, the Police blocked or took down over 600 illegal gambling websites, illegal gambling mobile applications and social media content promoting illegal gambling activities under the provisions of the Online Criminal Harms Act 2023. In addition, the Police worked with Payment Network Operators and Financial Institutions to block at least 6,900 attempted banking transactions related to illegal betting activities, with a total monetary value of over $600,000. 

Details of some of the enforcement operations are as follows:

1. A gambling suppression operation was conducted between 21 and 29 May 2026. Twenty-one men and nine women, aged between 17 and 79, were investigated for their suspected involvement in illegal online gambling activities and misuse of bank accounts. The 30 persons were suspected of illegal online betting or facilitating such activities by providing SingPass access to open personal bank accounts or setting up shell companies for corporate accounts. A total of 38 bank accounts, of which 14 were corporate bank accounts linked to 14 shell companies, were identified during the operation, with over $19,000 in suspected criminal proceeds frozen by Police from the bank accounts.
   
   
2. A gambling suppression operation was conducted between 4 and 11 June 2026. Nine men and two women, aged between 17 and 23, were investigated for their suspected involvement in illegal online gambling activities and misuse of bank accounts. The 11 persons were suspected of facilitating illegal online betting for others by obtaining online betting accounts from unlicensed betting platforms or by providing personal bank accounts for unlicensed operators to conduct monetary transactions.
   
   
3. A gambling suppression operation was conducted on 6 July 2026. The Police arrested 16 men and three women, aged between 45 and 76, for their suspected involvement in conducting illegal online gambling operations. More than $730,000 in cash, electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers, together with gambling-related paraphernalia, were seized as case exhibits.

Members of the public are advised to steer clear of all forms of illegal gambling activities. The Police will continue to take tough enforcement action against those involved in illegal gambling activities, regardless of their roles, and ensure that they face the full brunt of the law. Those seeking help for gambling addiction may contact the National Council on Problem Gambling at 1800-6-668-668.