SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man who is believed to be involved in transnational scam operations targeting Singaporeans was hauled to a district court on Nov 13 after being deported from Thailand.
Ong Kwang Wee, 44, was handed one charge for abetment to commit unauthorised access to computer material.
Charge sheets stated that Ong allegedly allowed an unknown person known as “Ah Feng” to access his bank account in April.
The bank account was used by criminal syndicates to launder funds.
Ong is also believed to be part of a transnational scam syndicate operating a scam centre in Myanmar involved in government official impersonation scams targeting Singaporeans.
Preliminary investigations revealed that he was involved in administrative functions at the scam centre, and he fled to Thailand when the centre was raided by Myanmar authorities, Singapore police said in a statement on Nov 13.
He was arrested by the Royal Thai Police during a raid in Bangkok and deported to Singapore on Nov 11.
Upon his arrival in Singapore, Ong was arrested and is currently in police remand. His case will be mentioned again in court on Nov 20.
For abetment to commit unauthorised access to computer material, an offender can be he can be jailed up to two years, fined, or both.
On Oct 29, the police issued warrants of arrest against 27 Singaporeans and seven Malaysians suspected of being involved in a scam ring operating in Cambodia.
They are alleged to be involved in 438 scam cases involving losses of at least S$41 million (US$31.49 million).
The Straits Times reported that the group is believed to be led by two brothers, Ng Wei Liang, 32, and Ng Wei Kang, 33, as well as the former’s girlfriend, Christy Neo Wei En, 29.
Ng Wei Liang’s cousin, Lester Ng Jing Hai, 29, is reportedly also a high-ranking member in the syndicate’s operations.
Ng Wei Kang, Neo and Ng Jing Hai were charged in September under the Organised Crime Act and denied bail on Oct 2. Twelve others, including two Malaysians and a Filipina, were charged at the same time.
The group was said to be involved in government official impersonation scams, in which scammers would call the victims posing as bank employees, and direct them to another scammer posing as either a police officer or a representative from the Monetary Authority of Singapore. - The Straits Times/ANN
