Jail for man linked to crime syndicate that controlled 70 bank accounts; over $837k involved

SINGAPORE – Saddled by debts after taking loans from unlicensed moneylenders, a Malaysian man decided to work for a transnational criminal syndicate that later controlled 70 accounts at seven Singapore banks.

More than $837,000 in total flowed through these accounts, and nearly $43,000 from this amount was traced to reported scam cases in Singapore.

Singapore and Malaysian police managed to bust the Johor-based syndicate

, and 12 Malaysians, including Tan Kang Yung, 35, were arrested in a raid on Aug 9, 2024.

Tan was sentenced to five years and 10 months’ jail and a fine of $2,000 on Dec 12. He will have to spend an additional week behind bars if he fails to settle the fine.

He earlier pleaded guilty in November to multiple charges over offences including cheating and misusing a computer system.

The cases involving two of his alleged accomplices – Malaysians Besmond Huan Yu Kang, 24, and Yew Chee Sian, 37 – are pending.

Yew’s wife Angeline Chan Sze Sze, 38, also a Malaysian, is said to be an alleged accomplice, and she is still at large.

Court documents stated that Tan was living in Sarawak in East Malaysia when he took loans from unlicensed Malaysian moneylenders and ended up heavily in debt in March 2024.

He was referred to a man known only as “Ah Siang”, who was a member of the syndicate.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Santhiya Kulasakeran told the court that the syndicate “harvested” Singapore bank accounts and internet banking login credentials linked to them for the group’s illegal use.

Ah Siang told Tan that he would apply for a Singapore work permit for him. This was done to allow Tan to open Singapore bank accounts and hand them over to the syndicate.

Tan was also told that RM3,000 (S$945) a month would be used to offset his RM50,000 debt if he managed to open accounts with seven Singapore banks.

Tan accepted the offer and shared his personal particulars with Ah Siang, despite knowing that the accounts would be used for unlawful activities.

He had no intention to be lawfully employed in Singapore, the court heard.

On March 24, 2024, an approval was issued to Tan to proceed with the Singapore work permit application. Ah Siang made the necessary arrangements for Tan to fly from Sarawak to Johor Bahru.

The DPP said that Huan, who became Tan’s “handler”, was then tasked to take charge of Tan’s movements between Johor Bahru and Singapore.

She added: “Besmond (Huan) was... acting on instructions from Angeline to guide money mules sent by the syndicate from Malaysia into Singapore.

“After entering Singapore, Besmond guided Tan to attend a medical check-up, which was a requirement by the Ministry of Manpower before the issuance of a Singapore work permit.”

After the work permit card was issued, Huan took Tan to various banks in Singapore and guided him to open bank accounts. Tan was then told to relinquish the internet banking login details through a group on messaging platform WeChat.

Among other things, the syndicate later handed over the internet banking credentials of one of the accounts to an unknown illegal online gambling operator.

Between April 10 and 23, 2024, the operator used the account to perform online transactions and some of the money was linked to scams.

The DPP said that Chan later offered Tan a monthly salary of RM2,500 to work as a handler of money mules alongside Huan.

Tan accepted the offer, and he later conspired with his accomplices to cheat various Singapore banks by duping them into believing that the money mules were the sole operators of the accounts opened.

In August 2025, the Singapore Police Force and their Malaysian counterparts identified a money laundering cell operating in Johor.

Tan, Huan and several other Malaysians were later arrested on Aug 9, 2024.

Tan was granted bail six days later but absconded soon after. Malaysian police re-arrested him on Dec 1 that year, and he was taken to Singapore, where he was charged in court six days later.