SINGAPORE: A Malaysian driver has been jailed over his involvement with a group that came to Singapore to buy 23 phones by using stolen credit card details.
Most of the devices, which were worth over S$45,000 in total, were later resold in Malaysia for profit.
Ding Jiun Hao, 26, was sentenced to two years’ jail on Tuesday (Aug 5). He had pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in a conspiracy to commit cheating, and one count of removing the benefits of criminal conduct out of Singapore.
His childhood friend, Tang Chin Huat, then 27, who is also a Malaysian, was sentenced to a year and 11 months’ jail in June.
A third man, identified as Liau Wei Zheng, is still at large and is believed to be in Malaysia. Deputy Public Prosecutor Ronnie Ang said that the police are making efforts to locate and apprehend him.
Court documents stated that Tang and Ding worked as drivers, ferrying passengers between Malaysia and Singapore.
In early November 2024, Liau asked Ding if he wanted to earn some extra money.
Liau also told him that an unknown person, known only as “Boss”, would give him credit cards belonging to other people to buy “as many iPhones as possible” in Singapore, for resale in Malaysia.
The court heard that third parties had stolen details linked to these cards. Such details were later stored in Liau’s electronic wallet.
“Boss” had promised Liau RM500 (S$151) for every phone they sold, and Liau offered to share the profits with Ding, who agreed to take part in the scheme.
As they needed a car to travel to and around Singapore, Ding asked Liau to rope in Tang, who owned one.
Liau then contacted Tang, who also agreed to be part of the scheme.
As part of the plan, Liau would receive 50 per cent of the profits, while the other two men would receive 25 per cent each.
On Nov 8, 2024, the three men travelled to Singapore in Tang’s car to visit four mobile phone shops at places including Orchard Road and Geylang.
They decided to leave Singapore after they bought 13 phones at an Orchard Road shop and one of its employees sensed that something was amiss due to this large purchase.
DPP Ang said: “(The employee) held back five phones and requested passport verification from Liau before releasing the phones.
“Liau and Ding went back to the car and left without those five phones as Liau wanted to return to Malaysia as soon as possible.”
The three men went back to Malaysia with the 18 remaining iPhones, worth more than $39,700 in total, and Liau later sold the devices.
He then gave Ding and Tang RM2,250 each.
Ding was arrested when he re-entered Singapore on Nov 10, 2024, to ferry passengers. He was remanded before he was released on bail 16 days later. He has made no restitution.
Tang, who found out from newspaper reports that he was a wanted man, returned to Singapore on Nov 24, 2024, and surrendered himself to the authorities.
He has made restitution of $2,000.
On Aug 5, defence lawyer Clarence Lun pleaded for Ding to be given a year and four months’ jail.
The lawyer from Fervent Chambers added: “He was not the mastermind, organiser, or initiator of the conspiracy. Rather, the offences were orchestrated primarily by Liau... who remains at large.”
Lun also said that Ding had come from a very poor family, and had “acted out of naivete and misguided trust” after Liau persuaded him. - The Straits Times/ANN
