Two Singaporean men arrested after deportation for alleged roles in overseas scam syndicates

Two Singaporean men have been arrested in Singapore after being deported from Thailand and Cambodia, over their alleged involvement in transnational scam syndicates and money mule activities, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on 13 November.

Both men, aged 44, were taken into custody by the Anti-Scam Command upon their arrival in Singapore on 11 November.

The first man was arrested by the Royal Thai Police (RTP) in Bangkok.

According to SPF, he is suspected of being part of a syndicate operating a scam centre in Myanmar, which had targeted Singaporeans through impersonation scams involving fake government officials.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the man had travelled to Myanmar, where he was involved in administrative functions at the scam centre. He fled to Thailand after the centre was raided by Myanmar authorities.

With assistance from the RTP’s Immigration Bureau, the man was deported to Singapore and arrested upon arrival. SPF added that he had allegedly relinquished control of his personal bank account in Singapore, enabling syndicates to transfer suspicious funds through it.

The second man was arrested by the Cambodia National Police for suspected involvement in a telecommunication fraud syndicate based in Krong Bavet, Cambodia.

Investigations indicate that he served as a translator for the scam operation. His bank accounts in Singapore were also found to have received proceeds from scam activities. He was deported with support from Cambodia’s General Department of Immigration and was arrested upon arrival in Singapore on the same day.

Both individuals are scheduled to be charged in court on 13 November.

The first man will be charged with abetment to commit unauthorised access to computer material. If convicted, he could face up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.

The second man faces two charges: abetment by conspiracy to cheat, and possessing property reasonably suspected to be criminal proceeds. The cheating offence carries a jail term of up to three years, a fine, or both. Possessing suspected criminal property is punishable by up to three years’ jail, a fine of up to S$150,000, or both.

SPF noted that the arrests were made possible through intelligence sharing and collaboration with international enforcement agencies. These efforts form part of Singapore’s broader strategy to tackle cross-border scam syndicates.

Commenting on the arrests, Director of the Commercial Affairs Department David Chew said the cases underscore both the evolving tactics of transnational syndicates and the strength of Singapore’s regional enforcement partnerships.

“It also illustrates the strong partnerships with our regional counterparts, including the Central Investigation Bureau of the Royal Thai Police and the Cambodia National Police, to identify, pursue and arrest criminals involved in scam operations,” he said.

The arrests come amid a sharp increase in scam activity in Singapore. SPF reported that the number of government official impersonation scams surged by 199.2 per cent in the first half of 2025 — rising to 1,762 cases from 589 cases in the same period of 2024.

Financial losses from such scams also escalated, increasing by 88.3 per cent to about S$126.5 million in the first six months of 2025, up from S$67.2 million during the same period in 2024.