A 35-year-old Indonesian man will be charged in court on 27 February 2025 for his suspected involvement in the failure to declare cross-border movement of cash and money laundering offence under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 (“CDSA”).
On 17 February 2025, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal detected USD 20,000 (equivalent to SGD 26,776) in cash in the man's possession, which he had failed to declare upon entry into Singapore.
Investigations by the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) revealed that the man was allegedly involved in an illegal online gambling advertisement operation based in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Between 2022 and 2025, he had allegedly worked with others to create and post advertisements for illegal gambling websites on social media platforms, primarily targeting Indonesian victims.
The USD 20,000 found in his possession was allegedly converted from IDR 326,000,000 which he had received in Pekanbaru, Indonesia, as payment from illegal online gambling operators for rendering advertising services. The man had intended to transport this money to Cambodia to fund the illegal gambling advertisement operation.
Director CAD, Mr David Chew said, "Criminals will seek to avoid bank controls and oversight by moving their illicit proceeds by cash. Having stopped and seized remote gambling proceeds flowing through our banking system, Singapore has now detected and interdicted illicit cash proceeds from an overseas crime syndicate. Let me be clear: Singapore will not tolerate money laundering. Anyone attempting to move criminal proceeds through our jurisdiction will be detected and charged. This case also exemplifies how our robust Cross Border Cash Reporting Regime (CBCRR) effectively detects and intercepts suspicious movements of cash or bearer negotiable instruments (CBNIs) that may be linked to transnational criminal activities. The successful detection and prosecution of such cases demonstrates our unwavering commitment to preventing Singapore from being used as a conduit for illicit funds. We will continue to take strict enforcement action against anyone who attempts to smuggle cash through our borders, whether the criminal proceeds originate locally or overseas.".
If convicted, the offence of possessing property representing benefits from criminal conduct under Section 54(3) of the CDSA carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to S$500,000, or both.
The offence of failing to make a report or to accurately report the movement of CBNIs exceeding S$20,000, punishable under Section 60(2) of the CDSA, carries a fine not exceeding S$50,000 or an imprisonment term of up to 3 years, or both. A confiscation order may also be issued for any part of the cash, in relation to which the offence was committed.
Screenshots of advertisements created for illegal gambling websites▼
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
26 February 2025 @ 6:05 PM