SINGAPORE: A 24-year-old Malaysian man linked to a Cambodia-based organised criminal group that scammed victims in Singapore was arrested at Woodlands Checkpoint on Dec 28.
The police, in a statement on Dec 29, said Eugene Goh is believed to be a member of a group linked to scams in which conmen impersonated government officials and targeted Singapore victims.
The group is believed to be responsible for nearly 440 reported cases involving losses of at least S$41 million (US$32 million).
The group, which operated from a compound in Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, was the target of a joint operation involving the Singapore and Cambodian police forces on Sept 9.
The Singapore police had earlier seized assets linked to the group, and established Goh’s identity, among other things.
Goh will be charged on Dec 30, said the police. If found guilty, he can be jailed for up to five years, fined up to $100,000, or both.
In October, the police issued arrest warrants for 27 Singaporeans and seven Malaysians linked to the Cambodian scam ring. Goh was not among the suspects at the time.
The syndicate was allegedly run by Singaporean fugitive Ng Wei Liang, who is believed to have recruited his older brother, cousin and girlfriend.
So far, two Singaporeans have been deported from Cambodia and Thailand and charged on Nov 17.
One Malaysian was arrested by Cambodian police in Phnom Penh and deported to Malaysia before being handed over to the Singapore authorities on Nov 17. He was charged on Nov 18.
Thirty suspects – 24 Singaporeans and six Malaysians – are still at large, said the police. - The Straits Times/ANN
