SINGAPORE – A couple allegedly involved in a luxury goods scam related to undelivered items worth about $32 million were handed new charges on Dec 12.
Thai national Pansuk Siriwipa, 28, was given 10 new charges. They comprise six charges for money laundering, three charges for misappropriating luxury watches worth more than $198,000, and one charge for moving $260,000 out of Singapore without declaring the sum to the authorities.
Pansuk now faces a total of 182 charges, including one of leaving Singapore after surrendering her travel documents.
Singaporean Pi Jiapeng, 27, was handed two new charges – one for possessing a luxury sports car believed to have been obtained using tainted funds, and the other for abetting Pansuk in moving $260,000 out of Singapore without declaring it to the authorities.
He now faces nine charges overall, including one of failing to be available for investigations by not reporting for bail, and another for refusing to sign a statement he had made.
The couple made headlines in July 2022 after at least 180 police reports were lodged against their businesses, Tradenation and Tradeluxury.
Their clients had made advance payments for luxury watches or luxury bags, but they allegedly failed to deliver the goods. The items included Rolex and Patek Philippe watches and Hermes bags.
Pansuk and Pi are both accused of taking orders for luxury watches and collecting payments amounting to more than $24.7 million from customers of Tradenation between March and June in 2022. They allegedly knew the company could not fulfil the orders, given its financial state.
Pansuk is also accused of taking orders for luxury bags and collecting payments of $946,948 from customers of Tradeluxury when she knew the orders could not be fulfilled.
Pi was arrested on June 27, 2022, for his suspected involvement in cheating offences. His passport was impounded, and he was released on bail the next day.
Pansuk was not arrested then but was assisting with police investigations. She had surrendered her passport on June 30.
The couple then became uncontactable and fled Singapore in a container compartment of a lorry on July 4.
Warrants of arrest and Interpol red notices were issued against them.
The Singapore Police Force had said it received information on Aug 10 from the Royal Thai Police that the couple might be staying at a hotel in Johor Bahru.
The next day, they were arrested at the hotel after more than a month on the run.
On Aug 12, they were each handed three charges – two over cheating and one charge of leaving Singapore illegally. They were denied bail that month after a judge agreed with the prosecution that they were flight risks.
Their cases have been set for a pre-trial conference on Jan 12.
In September 2022, two Malaysian men were each sentenced to a year’s jail for helping the couple flee Singapore. They pleaded guilty to offences under the Immigration Act.
