A 24-year-old Malaysian man, suspected to be a member of a Cambodian scam syndicate, was recently arrested at Singapore's Woodlands Checkpoint and was charged in court on the 30th.
According to a report by Lianhe Zaobao, the Singapore Police Force stated in a press release on the 29th that the Malaysian national, Ng You Jin (transliteration), is allegedly involved in transnational fraud and is believed to be a member of an organized crime group based in Cambodia. He was arrested by police on December 28 when he entered Singapore from Woodlands Checkpoint.
At the end of October, police released a wanted list of 34 individuals in relation to this criminal syndicate. Four of those listed had previously been apprehended. Ng You Jin was not on that wanted list; his identity was confirmed during police investigations into the crime group.
On the 30th, the man was charged with one count of violating the Organised Crime Act.
According to the charge sheet, the accused allegedly assisted in committing a serious crime against a Singaporean victim in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on September 9, 2025. He is alleged to be a member of a syndicate operating a scam center there, making phone calls targeting and deceiving victims in Singapore out of their money.
After being charged on the 30th, the accused was ordered to be remanded at Central Police Division to assist in investigations and may be brought out for further investigation during this period. The case has been adjourned for a further mention on January 6, 2026.
Under Section 12(2)(b) of the Organised Crime Act 2015, if convicted, the accused faces up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to S$100,000 (approximately RM315,500), or both.
The syndicate in question is alleged to be involved in at least 438 cases of impersonating government officials to scam victims, with losses totaling at least S$41 million. The syndicate operated out of a scam compound in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which was dismantled on September 9 this year during a joint operation by Singapore and Cambodian police. As part of ongoing investigations, police have previously imposed prohibition and seizure orders on assets linked to the syndicate.